New York City Friends: Season 2
by JonathanMagic
Summary: The girls are back for another round and the city sure keeps it interesting for them. New lovers, old lovers, new opportunities, new friends, old friends, parties, drama, heartbreak, falling in love, and much more awaits in one of the most famous cities- New York City. Age is just a number, because the fun never ends for these four fabulous women.
1. The Show Is Never Over

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 1: The Show Is Never Over**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **After a divorce with my husband during the fall of 2014, who also happened to be my best guy-friend, I expected a long period of time in between that before I would ever find somebody new... but I did and I thought that was it. The story of a middle-aged single gal in New York and her fellow single gal friends is not quite over though, because honey, we are not done telling this wild city story.**_

Christian kissed Michelle on the lips and the kiss burned Michelle up with passion, but the flame always died before it could form some major fire. Which left Michelle to thinking- _Was I wasting my lively time with a man who was practically dead on the inside?_

Michelle pushed the question away and she instead went back to watching the movie. The movie was about a couple who went on an adventurous path to finding themselves, later realizing that they are in fact soulmates... Something Michelle couldn't say about her relationship with Christian, sadly.

"We should probably get going," Christian said as he picked up his jacket to leave the movie theater.

Michelle followed and although it was just another Thursday, she wanted to turn this one into a 'Friday: The Prequel'.

Michelle looked at him, hoping he would get the hint that she wanted to go on a late-night adventure with him and just get carried away.

Christian was confused and didn't know what to tell her. "Well, see you tomorrow," he said as he walked away.

 _ **I was left wanting more. The show seemed to be reaching it's end, at least the 'Michelle & Christian Show' was.**_

Michelle turned around and ordered a hot-dog from the late-night stand nearby, she then took off to her apartment where she watched TV all night and she also masturbated a little before finally going to sleep... alone, but not completely lonely.

 _ **I wasn't angry or sad... in fact, for the first time, I really wasn't feeling anything other than cheap & unwanted. Can a relationship without passion even exist or is it just a big waste of time? I was on cloud-nine for the first few months of being with Christian and although we still seem to be in a good sane place, the passion has just died out... maybe I need crazy to make me feel alive.**_

* * *

 _ **Torrie on the other hand, was getting too much crazy for one Thursday night. She set up 3 dates with 3 different guys, now that she was officially 30, she was more serious and she wasn't afraid to go overboard with the looking.**_

At 4:05 P.M. Torrie went on a date with the first guy. He was a 35 year old business man who was too horny. "You know, after this, we can go back to my place and have a little 'fun'," The man would tell Torrie as he winked at her.

Torrie smiled, but in her head she was ready to run away. The date finally ended at 5:20 P.M. and Torrie rushed to her next date at a bar on the corner of that same street, risky but she didn't mind.

 _ **Date #1- Check! Still breathing and still keeping her hopes up!**_

"Hey, pay for the drinks. I swear I'll pay you back, I accidentally spent my money on a bet I made," The man said as he crashed into Torrie, already drunk and too immature for her. He was 28 and he was immediately checked off the list by Torrie.

He was a mechanic, but Torrie wasn't going to let him fix anything of her's.

 _ **Date #2- Check! Still breathing, but she was losing hope in men...**_

Later at 5:50 P.M. Torrie again rushed to her next and final date at a park bench. The park wasn't central park and the bench wasn't really a peaceful warm one, just like the man she was on a date with. He was 40 and he was very aggressive, too aggressive.

"Hey, can you not walk too close to us," he would yell at a couple who almost stepped on his shoes. "Keep walking mister," He yelled and Torrie covered her ears. She politely stayed for a couple of minutes and she smiled throughout the entire date, but she was exhausted of looking and exhausted of faking it after every failed date.

 _ **Date #3- Check. Third time's definitely not a charm. So Torrie went home. The dates were like an orgasm- Just not real for her, although the men never knew how awful the dates really were and they were still waiting for a call that would never happen.**_

Torrie did the 'walk of shame' and she felt like an 'emotional slut'. She was praying that she wouldn't run into Punk, mostly because she knew that she would never hear the end of this embarrassing story.

"Hey Torrie, how was your day. Are you engaged yet," Punk teased her as he laughed in the middle of their neighborhood street.

 _ **He just didn't understand her searching for love quest, it was like a period to him... he just didn't get it.**_

Torrie shook her head and kept walking, miserable... but at least she tried. She hated herself for telling him about the '3 dates in one day' plan of her's, but Punk was her friend and Torrie tells everything to her friends.

* * *

 _ **The next morning Torrie was still at it, she was still trying to get her shot at love... her efforts were just always wasted on the wrong men. Playing with a man who holds no passion, is like waiting for a cancelled TV show to go back on the air.**_

Torrie dribbled the basketball, but CM Punk would steal it from her and she would laugh as she chased him around the basketball court. The two continued this playful game of basketball for the next 30 minutes or so, they would do this almost every other morning before heading out to work.

"Okay, you win," Torrie would say after every shot Punk would make, "You have to go easy on me though, I'm not that good," Torrie begged as she hopelessly tried to aim the ball into the hoop, which she was getting better at it.

Punk would tease her after every fail, but he would give her a try and Torrie would finally make a shot after every few try's.

 _ **Punk had no problem with giving Torrie a try at shooting a hoop, but he would never dare to give her a try at aiming for his heart.**_

She would celebrate by 'casually' falling into his arms and hugging him, she would also play physical with him... but he never got the hints of her flirtatious behavior.

"So tell me about those millions of dates you went on yesterday," Punk asked Torrie while he chuckled.

Torrie rolled her eyes at him and instead took the ball away from him. "How about you grow up and start playing this little game of ours," Torrie said to him, referring to the relationship she hoped to have with him... but to his knowledge, she was referring to their basketball game.

 _ **To him, it was all a game, but to her, it was much more than just that.**_

Torrie finally walked back to her apartment to get ready for work, but she noticed herself feeling tired and sore. Was she getting old, was 30 the new 50 and not the new 20?

* * *

 _ **They say "painting in the morning calms a person down", but Ashley was definitely not calm while she painted... ironically, it was Ashley who told me that very quote.**_

Ashley painted this fantasy badass woman. Painting usually made Ashley feel confident and happy, but Ashley was starting to feel like shit compared to this other woman her own hands were creating.

The woman was bold & edgy, she had layered sharp hair and her clothes fell perfectly down her lean strong body without much effort, she even had this sure look in her eyes. She was the quintessential badass.

 _ **Maybe Ashley was this 'other painted fantasy woman'... maybe she just couldn't see it.**_

Ashley took a good stare at the woman, before finally walking away to take a quick snack-break. While walking to her granola bar, Ashley had many thoughts in her head. She was so distracted that she missed the giant bag of paintbrushes in front of her, she payed the price by tumbling hard on the floor.

"F*ck," Ashley yelled as she got her face up from the floor. Before leaving the floor, a stack of wedding invitations for her mother's wedding fell onto her back. "Oh, really," Ashley moaned as she sat there, staring blankly at the fancy golden letters of the cards.

 _ **They say, "artists are more emotional"... Ashley would tell me that's a bunch of bullshit, but it's apparently true.**_

Ashley looked at the bruise on her leg and for some reason, that and everything else made Ashley cry a little. "What the hell is happening," Ashley cried out as the tears blurred out everything for her to see.

She got up and continued to cry, but she was finally able to stop for a moment. Instead of getting the tissues, she got the scissors and she began to cut her hair to a much shorter length.

 _ **If Britney Spears released a song about her shaving her head in 2007... this right here would be the 'acoustic cover version' by Ashley Massaro. It was no show, it was more like a song of insecurities finally coming to a rocky end.**_

* * *

 _ **My Friday morning wasn't as bad as Ashley's, but it was still pretty pathetic. I was pathetic and my feelings were pathetic, I felt nothing when it came to Christian and whenever I did feel something it was usually me feeling like I was crazy and overreacting.**_

"Okay, I'm on my way. Okay, okay bye," Michelle said to the fashion designer on the phone before hanging up. While walking to go and pick up the fashion pieces to review, Michelle came across something even more interesting.

Michelle stopped for a second, "Christian, hi, what are you doing here," Michelle asked, surprised and confused at the sighting of her boyfriend at the meatpacking district on a random Friday morning.

Christian turned around and also seemed to be surprised, "Hey, Michelle, what a funny coincidence," Christian said, almost treating his own girlfriend like a stranger he hadn't seen in years.

Christian hugged her, but Michelle was still waiting for him to introduce her to his friends. "You must be Christian's friends, I'm Michelle, nice to meet you," Michelle said to the man and the woman.

"Nice to meet you, we were just talking to Christian here about hopefully setting up a fun getaway trip," The woman said, trying to start a conversation with Michelle.

Michelle smiled, but she didn't know what else to say. Nobody did, it was awkward, so Christian continued the unfinished conversation with his friends. He seemed to forget about Michelle, so she uncomfortably stood by him and Michelle wasn't even sure if they knew who she was?

 _ **I looked like an idiot. Was our relationship a walking idiot? It seemed non-existent at times, there was zero passion and it was bugging me.**_

"Okay, well I'm gonna go. But nice meeting you all," Michelle dismissed herself and boy was it cringe-worthy.

* * *

 _ **Candice felt like she was on top of the world, even after waking up late, she still managed to stay on top of her game for the big day.**_

While Candice walked to the Theatre District in Times Square, she passed a small boutique with the most eye-catching vintage fashion pieces she's ever seen. A purse in particular caught her eye, it was a floral _DVF_ vintage purse and she wanted it more than ever.

Candice stared at the purse helplessly from the other side of the window, she saw the price tag and she knew that she couldn't afford such a cost... especially now that she was a divorced single mother.

 _ **Candice needed no man, but moments like these tempted her. Although women can hold just as much cash as men, some just can't afford to spend like that and Candice was one of them... Ironically, she happened to be living in the fancy Park Avenue.**_

The door of the boutique opened and Candice watched as a happy couple walked out of the vintage place. The groomed man was holding his glamorous woman's hand and the woman had a nice new old _Chanel_ vintage purse on the other hand, they were all smiles and they were all bling. The couple reminded Candice of her own marriage with Wade, but she shook it out of her mind and continued to walk.

 _ **Candice longed for something else, but she was currently living for the moment. Today was her big day and she wasn't going to let anything bring her down, she was the one who ran her show and not some man.**_

* * *

 _ **Far from the lights and back in the Lower East Side, Torrie was getting her own big day too. That morning she was given the assignment to write an article about 'Women in their 30's who are still trying to live', which made Torrie feel even more self-conscious about her age, but it was a big deal because it would be featured on the front page of the magazine, "Elle".**_

"Okay, Torrie now that you turned 33, happy late birthday by the way, I wanted you to write about the life of women once they hit their mid-30s," The professional woman in glasses told Torrie.

Torrie froze, she didn't want to correct the woman who she admired on the fact that she only just turned 30 and not 33, so she let it go and nodded politely. "This is such an astonishing opportunity, thank you so much! I'll get right to work," Torrie exclaimed as she went off to write.

Torrie should've felt more excited, but she couldn't help and question her age. Was Torrie's age beginning to define every aspect of her, was she now officially part of that 'Women In Their 30s' group?

 _ **Torrie was a writer for 'Elle' at 29, but was she about to become a writer for 'More' magazine at her new age of 30?**_

Torrie looked out from the window of her small office, trying hard to start writing. She just couldn't let go of that mid-life crisis fear she was dealing with.

Torrie rested her head on the table and hoped something could come to her then, but no brilliant idea came.

After minutes of doing nothing productive, Torrie finally picked her head up and began to run her fingers across the keyboard. _"Hope is key, not only for 30 year old single women, but for everybody."_ Torrie typed in as the first sentence of the article. That was it, she couldn't think of anything else.

* * *

 _ **Back in Brooklyn, Ashley was looking like a 20 year old emotionally unstable meth addict after her meltdown, which involved her cutting some of her own hair. Ashley needed help asap and she knew exactly who to call for this hair-emergency, her gay friend Dolph.**_

"That is not pretty, I'm sorry, but honestly," Dolph said, shocked, as he looked at Ashley's uneven cut hair.

Dolph picked up the scissors and he began cutting away instantly. He cut Ashley's hair to an even shorter length, one that just barely touched her shoulders.

"Now it looks better. You're like the punk version of Taylor Swift," Dolph insisted as he played with Ashley's new and improved hair.

Ashley looked at herself in the mirror and she was in love, not obsessed like a conceited person... but this was confidence, which she hasn't felt in a long time.

"Well, since were giving my hair a whole new look, why not go the extra mile! I want pink and black highlights on the front of my hair, please, you have to," Ashley begged as she got the dye out from the counter.

Dolph shook his head, but he didn't hesitate to go for it.

 _ **Ashley now became the badass woman she was painting earlier and she could pull it off like none other. Her show, also know as her repetitive life, was now rejuvenated.**_

After minutes of applying the dye, Dolph was done and Ashley was ready to look at her new hairdo. "F*ck, I feel fine for once, thank you," Ashley exclaimed as she posed fiercely for the mirror.

Dolph smiled and he gave her a thumbs up, "Now let's talk about boys because with that new hair, they're going to want some of you. Did I tell you about my straight friend, well he's single now and I don't know, you two could work," Dolph teased Ashley about.

Ashley rolled her eyes and she hid the topic far under the rug. "No, first, let me just enjoy myself," Ashley exclaimed as she flipped her hair and twirled fabulously in the art studio of her's.

* * *

 _ **Like Ashley, Candice was also filled with poise & confidence that day. Everybody around Candice saw the fire inside of her, even as they all nervously did last-minute rehearsals for the big opening show.**_

"1-2-1-2! Okay, now take it back and tap the floor," Candice would say to herself as the sweat dripped down her face.

She would do the move over and over again, until she got it perfectly right. By now, she was even leaving the younger dancer's far back in the dust.

 _ **Some sweat also dripped down some of the heterosexual dancer's, except it was a different type of sweat. Candice was considered a 'Milf' to them, she was the oldest woman out of the musical's cast and the boys wanted her moves... but Candice was too out of this world to pay any attention to their drooling.**_

Candice continued to dance in her own little world and she didn't mind anybody else who happened to be around her, she was determined and too focused on the show to let people distract her.

The show was about two hours away from starting and Candice sure wasn't going to waste any minute. Although it wasn't a sold-out show yet, it was still a big deal... after all, who else can say they've performed their own musical at Times Square.

* * *

 _ **New York City is known for being one of the most diverse and interesting place in the world, it's almost impossible not to be passionate about something in this big city. But how can a man be so un-alive in the Big Apple.**_

Michelle sprayed herself with perfume and she was going for second's, but their was knocking at the door. "Coming," Michelle yelled as she went for the door.

She smiled at the sight of her boyfriend, who was already dressed up. "Thank you, it really means a lot that you are giving this a shot," Michelle told Christian as she took him by the hand and brought him into her apartment.

"Okay, I just need a few more things... but I swear we'll be out of here within 10 minutes," Michelle promised, but 10 minutes to her translated to 30 minutes in 'Getting Ready' timezone.

 _ **I was excited and I had an intense energy that could fly me high up for the night, the question was- Could Christian keep up?**_

Michelle ran out of her room with a jumpy feeling inside of her, "Okay, let's go," Michelle cheerfully said as she headed for the door. However, Christian was not present, at least mentally... he fell asleep 15 minutes ago.

"You're obviously bored out of you mind. You can leave if you want to," Michelle told him as he slowly woke himself up from the couch. He rubbed his eyes for a good 10 seconds, before finally responding.

"No, I'll go. I had plans with my own friends, but here I am, so might as well do this," He said as he got up to leave.

Michelle stopped him before he could walk away, "Your friends, that's right! You have friends and I haven't met them, how about that," Michelle sarcastically said as she patted him on the shoulder.

Christian laughed, "Look, I just don't think they're your type of crowd," Christian admitted.

Michelle shook her head in disapproval, "My friends aren't your type of crowd, but you've met them. And is that why you completely treated me like a stranger in front of your friends earlier," Michelle put him on the spot about.

He kissed her and then walked away, with nothing else to say. Michelle froze for a minute, she was beyond confused at the unusual random act. Was she crazy, was he crazy?

 _ **Was I crazy... no, that's not even the important question here! The important question- Is he crazy enough for me? All I know, is that this man is driving me crazy because he isn't driving me crazy.**_

* * *

 _ **Ashley also brought her date to the musical... except she brought two men and these men were both very excited for the musical, but technically she was on their date.**_

"I can't believe I'm a third wheel! Just kidding, this is my life, always being that extra annoying wheel," Ashley said, almost yelling it to the whole crowd in Times Square.

Dolph and Johnny laughed, "Ashley stop it, we always try setting you up with some man... but you always reject it, you're too damn picky," Dolph insisted as he held his man's hand.

Ashley practically ignored his comment. Instead, she took out her cigarette and she lit one up, "Nobody will ever kiss me the way this cigarette does," Ashley dramatically said as she smoked away. She felt that bittersweet hard kiss of that cigarette, which she hadn't felt in a long time.

 _ **Ashley was once a smoker and she loved it, but she later turned that around. She stopped smoking and she began to look for love, until now... She's now a social smoker and only a social smoker, for now that is.**_

The three continued to walk through the crowds of people, when a tourist decided to test Ashley's temper. "Mam, I'm going to need you to put that out. Their are people literally walking right near you, it's a little rude," The older blonde woman with an 'I Love NY' t-shirt told Ashley.

Ashley stopped her smoking for a quarter of a second. She looked at the woman, but she had nothing to say to her.

 _ **Looking for love was tiring for Ashley, just like being judged and having to defend herself was getting tiring for her.**_

Ashley walked away and had nothing to give to the woman, so she continued to smoke peacefully, "I'm just so tired of this! I don't have to justify my actions, ever! It's my life and I will live it the way I want to live it," Ashley ranted on about.

"I hate Times Square! This is the one place I hate the most out of New York, too much tourists and too much mainstream advertising," Ashley also ranted about.

Dolph and Johnny casually nodded their heads, with fear that Ashley would turn on them any second now. But Ashley's recent decision to smoke again and her behavior recently was starting to worry those around her.

Either way, Ashley ran her fingers through her short hair and she felt like a badass, especially with those sunglasses on and with that cigarette she had in her hand.

 _ **Ashley was the female version of James Dean on the outside, but she was a broken Marlin Monroe on the inside.**_

* * *

 _ **Every second to Torrie was like a minute. Now that she entered her '30s', she was now living by dog years. For the entire day, Torrie couldn't help but to obsess over her age and fear about her future.**_

"Do you ever think about your future and just get extremely scared of it," Torrie asked the wrong guy. Punk looked at her funny, he smirked and he put his arm around her shoulders.

"No, because I don't break my head about it and you shouldn't neither," Punk reassured paranoid Torrie.

Torrie stayed quite and she brushed it off.

"You're still young! If it makes you feel any better, I'm 37 and I'm still not living the life I thought I would be living at this age," Punk admitted, with regrets and memories coming back to him.

Torrie turned to him, surprised with the fact that he actually wanted something out of life. "Well, you don't look 37 and... I'm surprised that 'Mr. Bitter Man' over here actually has desires for things in life," Torrie told him.

Punk laughed and turned red, "Yeah, well, what can I say... I'm full of surprises," Punk exclaimed. "Now, let's talk about something else that doesn't get us elderly 30 year old's stressed out about," Punk teased as he and Torrie walked along the wild-side of Times Square.

* * *

 _ **Minutes before her show, Candice made sure she put her mothering priorities first.**_

It was dark out by the time Brooklyn was dropped off at the exclusive back side of the Theatre building. Candice held his head and she kissed it, "Here, I knew your father wouldn't bring you with a sweater," Candice said as she zipped up the jacket on Brooklyn.

"How was your day," Candice asked Brooklyn, trying to show him that she cares, but also trying to take her mind off of the pressure.

Brooklyn was confused, "Okay, I guess. But doesn't the musical start any minute now, shouldn't you be telling me about that instead," Brooklyn told his mother.

"Honey, you are my sweet distraction! Now go on, go through the hallway I showed you that leads to the audience seats, Michelle saved you a seat next to her," Candice instructed him in a rush.

She watched him dash out and she took a deep breath in. The chilly winds of September brought a sense of warmth inside of Candice, ironically. The noise of the tourists and the sirens of the aggressive frenzy also helped to calm Candice down, ironically.

 _ **The fence in front of Candice didn't stop the bright lights of Times Square from reaching her eyes, it was inspiring and it was encouragement from New York herself.**_

* * *

 _ **Candice's show was spectacular and one hour into the show, it still managed to stay spectacular. However, my show with Christian was beginning to get dull and old... and by 'show' I mean relationship.**_

Michelle held onto Christian's hand tightly, with a grip no one else could break. She loved the feeling of his masculine warm hand, it was a warm feeling she had longed for after her divorce with Mark.

Every time Michelle felt him move, she would turn to look at him and she would give him a smile. Hoping he wouldn't leave her, like those others have in the past.

She felt calm and secure throughout the musical, until Christian decided to leave her behind like those others. "I have to go, but tell Candice I enjoyed it very much," Christian whispered into Michelle's ear as he let go of her needy hand. He gave her a kiss, but it wasn't enough to make up for what he was doing.

 _ **Our 'show' had potential, but it was beginning to disintegrate into nothing more than a quick fling.**_

Michelle turned her head back to watch him walk away. She got her body half-up from the seat to follow him, but she knew it wasn't worth it. So she sat back and enjoyed the rest of the fabulous musical, with an okay smile on her face.

* * *

 _ **The show was over, but the emotional journey leading to the big premiere show will never be over for Candice. Their will be other shows, but no two shows will ever have the same feeling as one another.**_

Candice did a quick curtsy along with the rest of the cast of the musical, "Thank you," Candice said, but the cheering of the audience made it hard for Candice to be heard.

A tear came strolling down her face. It was hard to take it all in, everything, from the show to the 'behind-the-scenes' moments, everything.

The sold out crowd loved Candice and the musical as a whole. Her friends were proud of her and the promoters of the musical were very proud of her too, but most importantly... her 14 year old son was also very proud of her.

Candice went from being a broken, hopeless, and exhausted divorced mother to a superstar.

 _ **She blew kisses here and there, she waved and she cried. It was a sold out show!**_

* * *

 _ **When you slay your very own sold out show at Times Square, you need to celebrate with a little after-party.**_

Candice made sure she stopped by the vintage boutique before doing anything else. She picked up the vintage _DVF_ purse she saw earlier and she payed for it with her own self-made money.

"Now to celebrate," Candice exclaimed as the core-four girls and a couple of other friends walked the night-streets of Times Square. "First, Can we please leave this 'cliche' place and go back to the Manhattan I know," Ashley begged as the whole group laughed.

 _ **Ten minutes later, we were all back in the same old Manhattan we know and love. The 'big lights' and the 'Broadway' feeling had worn off after having dinner at some old restaurant there, but the same people remained. Maybe I'll lose some in life, but a one man show can always carry on if you're fabulous and comfortable with yourself. Life's like a show, eventually some cast members leave and you'll have to face many bumpy story-lines along the way to keep it interesting, but when your show does end... you can always look back at the old seasons and reminisce, so in a way your show truly never ends.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Christian, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Johnny 'Fandango' Curtis, and Brooklyn Barrett.**

 **Written & Created By~ Jonathan Nunez**

 **Published On September 6, 2015.**


	2. You Don't Want To End Up Alone, Do Ya?

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 2: You Don't Want To End Up Alone, Do Ya?**

 **The Contents of this chapter have nothing to do with today's date and the chapter was written prior to this day. The chapter release date and the date of today are only coincidental, however today's date will be acknowledged. 9/11 happened 14 years ago, but the wound is still fresh in the hearts.**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **The thing about being alone, is that everybody fears the idea and if you feel otherwise... well, you are alone on that one. I was one of those many, which is why I brought Christian with me on my Sunday morning jog.**_

Michelle was avid in running, but her boyfriend wasn't. She would push Christian to keep running whenever he stopped, but he would tell her that his family was genetically known for 'getting tired easily'.

"I love how you tell me about your family all the time, yet for some reason, I still haven't met them... kind of like your friends, you just never give me the chance to meet them," Michelle confronted Christian about.

Christian ignored the question by drinking from his water bottle. "You wouldn't like them," He told her after long seconds of silence for him to catch his breath.

"Really? Or is is that they wouldn't like me," Michelle asked him, afraid that she would never get a spot in Christian's life.

Christian laughed, "Look, one day I can schedule some type of dinner or whatever and then you'll meet them, but for now... just drop it," Christian told her, short and simple.

Michelle shook her head and she gave him a pat on the shoulder, before running off. "I just want to be part of your life! Is that so much to ask for," Michelle cried out to him. She turned back around and this time, she did run far off.

Christian watched from a distance as Michelle took off far away.

 _ **I guess I was just afraid of losing Christian. If he can't introduce me to the people who are in his life, then will I ever truly be part of his life or is this relationship just a small way to kill time for him?**_

* * *

 _ **After showering off the questions and the doubts, I had brunch with the girls. Brunch always brings the answers for the questions and the self-assurance for the doubts.**_

"I'm not sure anymore? Is Punk always going to be JUST my friend," Torrie asked the 3 women sitting with her, "Why can't he fall in love with me already," Torrie cried out.

Michelle looked over the menu, "Relationships aren't that great! Just compare my relationship with Christian to your friendship with Punk; You two have way more fun and you spend all of your spare time together, plus you two have become really close over the summer and you both know that you'll always be part of each other's life... because friendship is forever," Michelle said, reassuring Torrie... but bringing herself down in that process.

Candice shook her head, "I'm sorry, but a friendship between a heterosexual man and a woman just isn't bound to last forever. It's impossible and if he doesn't believe in monogamy now... then who's to say that he will later in life," Candice added in, bringing the many doubts back into Torrie's head.

The girls all turned to Ashley for an opinion, but Ashley stayed there quietly minding her own business as she chewed her salad up. "What?"

"Well, what do you think? Should I keep trying with Punk or should I just move on and look for someone else," Torrie asked Ashley.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "I don't know Torrie and I don't care! You 3 never shut up about men, it's like men define you and without them you would be nothing," Ashley called them out on, "It's pathetic and sad!" She said abruptly.

The 3 women stayed quite, they were all surprised with Ashley's sudden blow-up.

"Okay, first of all, I have not been talking about men ever since my divorce with Wade! So I don't know what you're talking about," Candice fired back at Ashley.

Torrie and Michelle both looked at each other, they both knew that they couldn't make a counter argument against Ashley's harsh truth.

 _ **Ashley was right- I need to stop leaving my faith in the hands of men, even if it means ending up alone in life. Are some women more afraid of being alone than others?**_

* * *

 _ **An hour later, angry Ashley took the angry subway home... but not everybody on that subway was angry. A man in particular was drawn to Ashley, but she rejected him faster than some reject diet plans.**_

Their were no seats open for Ashley to occupy, so like always, Ashley stood with her hand leaned on one of the subway poles.

"Here, take my seat," The humble man said to Ashley.

 _ **Everybody in New York knows that the most romantic thing one can do, is to offer that one special person your seat on the crowded subway.**_

Ashley gave him a smile, "It's fine, but thank you," Ashley told the man. Ashley was clueless to the fact that the man was practically infatuated with her.

Ashley awkwardly turned her body around after the staring became too uncomfortable for her, "Oh come on, don't be shy! Just sit down," He insisted.  
Ashley made up a fake laugh and try'd to keep her cool, "No, I said I was fine," She insisted.

 _ **She found it hard to believe that a man could ever be attracted to her, so she blew him off before he had the chance to do it to her... that's 'insecure logic' for you.**_

An old Staten Island Italian woman sitting across the two noticed their little flirtatious argument going on. "Honey, he's being a gentleman and he's not bad looking, give him a chance," The woman adviced Ashley.

Ashley's face turned red as a tomato. The man noticed Ashley moving in an uneasy way, so he knew to back off.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was actually trying to do the opposite of that," He said, embarrassed and insecure thanks to Ashley's misunderstanding.

Ashley looked deeply into his face and she was attracted to him too, but it was too late to go back. So Ashley went 'full-bitch' on him, "Okay, please just don't talk to me," She lashed out on him.

 _ **At this point, anybody without headphones on were all paying attention to Ashley and New Yorkers are known for ignoring anything on that subway, no matter how weird.**_

Ashley awkwardly walked a few feet away from the man, with a burning regret inside of her. The man sat back down, he put his sunglasses on and he surprisingly shed a few tears behind those shades.

* * *

 _ **A woman in a different part of the city had the same admirer roaming near her grace, but this woman made sure to be extra-nice to her admirer.**_

Candice would usually work at the children's hospital during the weekday's, but she volunteered to work there on that Sunday afternoon of her's, which she didn't mind.

"I love your shoes! They're so sparkly and they look so fierce," The 8 year old girl complimented Candice, from the hospital bed in which she lied on.

Candice turned to the little girl and she smiled bigger than ever, "Thank you! What's your name sweetie," Candice asked the little girl.

The girl hid her face under the sheets, "I'm Sammie and I have cancer, which I think you already knew by the look of my bald head," Sammie, the 8 year old cancer patient said with that smile still on her face.

"Well actually, some women have bald heads and they don't have cancer. I think they're all beautiful, especially you," Candice said, lighting up the girl with butterflies.

 _ **The little girl admired something about Candice, but Candice admired everything about the little girl.**_

After a long fun conversation, the parents of the little girl walked in to check up on her. "How's are princess warrior doing," The father said, kissing his daughter on the forehead.

Candice smiled as she watched the family love each other unconditionally.

 _ **The loving family of 3 reminded Candice of her family and how they were a couple of months ago... but she refused to remember how broken & apart they drifted from one another.**_

"The doctors need to do a small quick check-up, but after that she's all yours to take home," Candice told the parents of the little girl. Before walking out, Candice had to do one more thing.  
"I was talking to your daughter about this musical I'm doing, which she seemed to be so excited about, so here are 3 free tickets to the show... if you guys ever want to come, it's family friendly despite the showy name," Candice said to the parents, handing them the tickets.

The two smiled and they each hugged Candice, "Thank you so much," The mother said with much love and the father shook Candice's hand with much respect. "Truthfully, this whole cancer treatment is very expensive and we are emotionally drained, even though we don't show it... but we needed something like this, so thank you," The mother whispered to Candice.

Candice felt humble and she took that all in, never to forget.

* * *

 _ **For others, working on a Sunday was frustrating and depressing.**_

After 2 weeks of writing, Torrie still had no solid work for the article she was asked to write about.

She held her head as she forced coffee down her throat.

Every time Torrie wrote a word, she got distracted by her own thoughts. She couldn't help but to go into deep-thinking about her own life.

 _ **Writing this 'Women in their 30s who are still trying to live' article became too hard for Torrie, especially because it was so closely related to her own '30' year old life.**_

Torrie had an urge to pick up the phone and call Punk for help, but she wanted to keep her distance from him a little more. If he can never love her, then she has to force herself to do the same.

* * *

 _ **It was just another regular Sunday afternoon, but this Sunday had a little surprise to it. Christian called me out of the blue and he invited me to a special dinner... with his friends, finally.**_

Michelle was a happy girl. She was surrounded by Christian and his 5 closest friends, all whom seemed to be liking her.

"Christian, I think you should bring Michelle to our little Cabin trip in Massachusetts! It'd be fun," The brunette woman said to Christian.

Christian laughed and turned to Michelle, "I'm not really sure Michelle is the cabin type of girl," Christian told his 3 guy friends and 2 girl friends, as they all laughed.

 _ **I'm not the 'cabin type of girl', I'm more of the 'martini fashion city type of girl'.**_

Michelle laughed along, "Well, I'm not sure about that. I'm very open to anything," Michelle lied on about.

The group all continued to talk and the longer the conversation went on for, the more fake Michelle became. They would talk about 'fishing techniques', 'home remodeling' , 'lake houses', and other topics Michelle had no interest in... but she would play along and she wouldn't stay quite.

 _ **I was a phony, but you know what they say; "Fake It, Till You Make It". I was putting on a little fake show for them, but I'd rather do that than to lose Christian and to be alone. Logic.**_

* * *

 _ **Some women on the other hand, just aren't afraid of being alone... like Ashley. She was spending her Sunday alone, but ironically she was surrounded by dozens of people at her art studio. But in order to keep the hearts away from her, Ashley would paint with anger and speed.**_

The New York autumn weather was chilly and people wanted warm hugs, not Ashley's aggressive splatting of paint all over her messy scary canvas.  
Ashley had her headphones in, so nobody could possibly stop her artsy fury. She would paint like no one was watching, but they were and they noticed Ashley's tantrum.

She would splat the black paint all over the canvas and it would land like droplets of blood, some of the paint would even fly elsewhere, but Ashley could care less about the rest.

"I came to pick up some things for my 7 year old niece who loves to color, but I peed my pants when I was near her. She's gon' kill a bitch, that's what's goin' to happen," The Brooklyn lady said to her friend as the two walked out of the art studio.

 _ **Scaring men, now scaring women too. Ashley was seen as a bitter monster who didn't need the love of any one person, but Ashley was simply misunderstood. She was a lonely girl who had a monster inside of her, the monster was built off of rejection from her past, which is why the lonely girl on the outside denied her needs for affection.**_

* * *

 _ **Rejection isn't a bad thing and if you know how to work around it, then you can only always have what you want and nothing less, without appearing rude.**_

An independent 40 year old recently-divorced woman had nothing else but work on her mind. The other women who happened to be taken and younger, had other things in mind... especially for Candice, they thought they knew exactly what it was that Candice needed.

"Since you have your musical going on and it's kind of a big deal and all, we thought that you would need some hunky gentleman by your side!" The young blonde nurse try'd tempting Candice.

The equally blonde and young friend nodded away. "Yeah, he can accompany you to your shows and it would be fun for you all," She insisted.

Candice laughed and shook her head, "No, I think I'm perfectly fine with being single for now," Candice let them both know.

"Oh come on! Your divorce with Wade happened like 4 months ago, it's time to move on and find some new man," They continued to try with Candice.

Candice grabbed her purse and she quickly headed for the door, before her head could explode of annoyance. "Ladies, I'm fine. Believe it or not, I feel like I'm on top of the world and unlike you, I run my life and I never plan on changing that... ever again," Candice told them off as she walked out.

She felt like a champion, because everything she said was true.

 _ **When you're in charge of your life and when you truly are independent, no one can tame you or stop you.**_

* * *

 _ **Some women do look for a man to share their live's with. Torrie knows exactly who she is and Torrie knows that she loves love, no one can stop her obsessive journey on looking for that love. Torrie signed up for a last minute multi-dating event, in hopes of finding her 'Mr. Right'.**_

"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Torrie and I'm a writer, just here to finally find somebody who can actually love me the way I would love them," Torrie introduced herself to the man in front of her. It was a bit too forward and Torrie didn't realize how desperate she was coming off as, but the man sure noticed.

The man didn't know what to say, so he lied. "Yeah, I'm gay," The man told Torrie as he walked away.

"But earlier, I saw you flirting with that other woman over there," Torrie told him, confused. He didn't hear her and he instead went back to that other woman he was flirting with earlier.

 _ **30's freak women out and maybe that's why we run searching for the live's our mother's dearly wanted us to have at that age, but 30's to men are simply known as '20's 2.0'.**_

Torrie looked around, but it seemed like word of her being 'desperately crazy' had gotten around the room. She waited and she waited for someone to join her, but nothing.

She got up and along with her, she took her laptop and her purse. Torrie tried slowing her pace down, hoping that some man would stop her before she exited the room... but nothing.

* * *

 _ **New York City has had many bad stigma's attached to it's history, but one that has never been partnered up with the city is 'boring'. I have been living here for about 16 years and rarely do I ever experience any boring dull moments, until now. The date I was on with Christian and his friends was more boring than waiting for a doctor's appointment.**_

After finally finishing the longest dinner in the history of dinner's, Michelle felt relieved that Christian's friends actually liked her and her fake matching personality.

"What a shame that this is over! Michelle you should totally join us two girls for a little girl time," The female friend said to Michelle.

Michelle gave the two women a smile, "Oh, maybe. Just call me and we can plan something," Michelle said to them. Hoping they wouldn't ever call to 'plan something'.

Michelle's smile showed them that she was excited, but in the inside Michelle was dying. She could barely get through this dinner, let alone some 'girl time' now... but Michelle was up for it, anything to get closer to Christian and his life.

 _ **Maybe some solo time with Christian's female friends could get me a spot in Christian's life, a spot where I could feel secure and know that it's not just temporary.**_

"You know, it's not that late. If I could, I would love to take you all to this sick club around the corner," Michelle offered, but nobody took.

All 5 of Christian's friends left, "Sorry sweetie, but maybe next time... when I don't have kids to care for."

 _ **And just like that, it was now just Christian and I left to wander the evening streets of Manhattan.**_

* * *

 _ **After her failed multi-dating project, Torrie instead used that experience as material for her article about 'Women In Their 30s Who Are Still Trying To Live'.**_

Torrie was just about ready to head home, but instead of taking the 'walk of shame', Torrie pulled out her laptop and she got right to writing.

Their was a coffee shop a few blocks away, but Torrie just dropped down on the nearby bench and she wrote away.

She was on a writing roll. Torrie wrote about her fears and she wrote about her dream-guy, she also wrote about wanting something you can't have and she wrote about the complicated dating field.

 _ **Torrie Wilson was like the new 'Carrie Bradshaw' of the 2010's Manhattan decade.**_

Eventually Torrie took her laptop home, where she would later go onto writing more. Torrie quickly forgot about her miserable multi-dating experience, but she sure took advantage of the feeling by writing about it.

* * *

 _ **Another woman who was very proud of her work, was Candice Michelle. The ticket sales to 'Foxy, Fierce, & Fabulous' were soaring through the roof, the reviews were also already starting to come in and they were all mostly positive.**_

Candice was a tired lady. She read one of the first review's to her musical and that woke her right back up.

She was thrilled and she felt like she could do anything.

Although Candice earlier felt like taking a long sleep, she decided not to. Candice ran for her jacket and for her yoga pants, she put on her sunglasses and for some reason, she went out the door for a late-night jog.

Candice ran past the people and the fresh air of the city gave her this lively feeling.

 _ **She was too excited to stay contained, but also... Brooklyn was at his father's place and Candice had the whole Park Avenue penthouse to herself, so she ran away from the loneliness as much as she could and she made sure to keep herself busy.**_

* * *

 _ **It seems like those who don't fear loneliness are the ones who learned how to cope with it. They run away from it, they stay distracted, or they just have fun. Ashley was hoping to do one of the three, but it looks like she couldn't get away from it this time.**_

After closing up her art studio, Ashley called up Dolph to hang out and she hoped that he wouldn't bring his boyfriend... luckily, he didn't.

However, Dolph wouldn't shup up about his boyfriend. "I can bet you that he's baking some cupcakes or some brownies right now... Ahh, I just love him to pieces," Dolph would gush about his man.

Ashley would simply nod along and she would smile, but she was ready to duct-tape his mouth shut.

"Well, you little happy slut, I have to go, but enjoy your happy couple night with those cupcakes of yours," Ashley told him as she began to walk away.

Dolph laughed and waved goodbye, "You'll one day be a little happy slut too and I'm loving your sweet positivity by the way, it's a good look on you," He said sarcastically, as the two laughed and walked opposite ways.

 _ **It looks like it wasn't just us girls who were 'obsessing' over men. Ashley learned that some men can also 'obsess' over men and that some of us are simply looking for the right love, but you can't do that without analyzing things a little.**_

Ashley walked home alone, but she was fine with that. She wasn't technically 'lonely', Ashley knew that she had her friends and if she wanted to keep those friends... she would simply have to accept their flaws, even if they made her hurl.

 _ **Minutes later, Ashley called all 3 of us to apologize about her abrupt blowout she had earlier at brunch.**_

* * *

"That was great, I'm surprised you got along with all of my friends so perfectly," he admitted.

Michelle laughed, "Well, you know. I'm good with people, I know how to get along with all types of people," Michelle said laughing, but that wasn't true and she knew it.

 _ **Their is a reason why I only have 3 close friends in my life, because only a few people truly get me and I only feel at home with those few people.**_

"The cabin trip will be fun and your little girl date with the two ladies will surely be fun too," Christian tried convincing her. He was excited for his girlfriend to become friends with his friends.

"Where are you going... where are we going," Michelle asked. The first question was literal, but the second one was more of a metaphorical question.

Christian took a pause, "Well I'm going home and as for us, well we are going into a more serious phase of our relationship," He answered, with a smile.

Christian kissed her forehead and he walked away.

 _ **And just like that, it was now just me left to wander the young streets of Manhattan.**_

Michelle paused and watched Christian walk away, she then turned around and walked her own way. It was a chilly night, but Michelle didn't tremble.

Instead of walking home alone, she stopped for a quick beagle and for a copy of a Vogue magazine issue. Surprisingly, she had nothing else in mind... like the fear of ending up alone, her mind was fully in the moment.

Michelle enjoyed her beagle and she loved this month's issue of Vogue... Beyoncé looked fabulous. Michelle enjoyed the chilly winds and she enjoyed the street lights and how they perfectly blended in with that September dark-blue evening... that was the moment and that's what she had for that night.

 _ **I don't want to end up alone and the thought of being 50 & alone is scary, but that's not right now and right now I am not alone. I walked the streets alone, but I had my people back home. Those 'people' were my 3 lovely girl-friends and 'home' was my heart. Men will come and go, some will be temporary and they won't have such profound effect on your life, but others will change you and they will take you on fun adventures... which is what I'm looking for, people to add to my already very occupied home. As long as I live here in this city, I can safely know that I will never be alone, because New York sure knows how to keep me company and that's why I love New York!**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Christian, Dolph Ziggler.**

 **Written & Created By~ Jonathan N.**

 **Published On September 11, 2015.**

 _In Memory Of New York City, Friends Were Lost... But They Will Always Be Remembered._


	3. When The Past Comes Back Around

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 3: When The Past Comes Back Around**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **Remembering the past is like looking at pictures of you and your friends at the beach, it brings back warm nostalgic summer memories... sometimes. Trying to predict the future, is like buying Christmas gifts in October and feeling a rush of excitement... sometimes. But the present is what really matters, Summer and Spring are in the past, Winter is still not here, but Autumn is very present in New York City. Central Park is the place to be during Fall, surrounded by all the colorful falling leaves.**_

Michelle smiled at the sight of the few first color changes of the leaves, a few were already even beginning to fall.

She looked at all the lovely couples strolling around. Some were sitting on the benches eating their sandwiches and sharing their stories, while others were taking pictures and exploring the big backyard of the city.

That reminded her of her own lovely boyfriend, "Hey, Christian, where are you? I'm waiting here and it's really nice out, so hurry up," Michelle left Christian on his voicemail. He was lovely, but he was lacking some excitement and some energy that she so needed within her love.

 _ **I didn't think about my future with Christian, because that stressed me out. I stayed in the present, but boy was that boring. The past was something I would never look back on, but the past was just about to come back and surprise me.**_

Christian never showed up, so Michelle wandered around Central Park alone. After several minutes of rolling along with the wind, Michelle saw a familiar face from the side of her eye. She turned her whole head around to get a better look and it was exactly who she thought it was.

It's been years since she last saw this man, so she slowly approached him with caution.

The tall blonde man finally noticed Michelle too, "Michelle, dear god! How are you, it's been so long since I last heard of you," He said, just as surprised as Michelle was.

"It's been quite a while! I'm good, but look at you, how have you been," Michelle asked the stranger, who previously was much more than just that.

"I've been good too! You look great by the way and we need to catch up sometime," He said, staring at the face he hadn't seen in so long.

 _ **Jack Swagger, he was an Entrepreneur and I almost married him at a young age of 21. I called it off after only a few months and I never saw him again, it's been about 13 years since I last heard of him. Jack was my first big love and if I were to rank my past lovers based on significance, Jack and Mark would both probably tie for #1.**_

Michelle couldn't help but to remember their rocky past while talking to him, but once he flashed his smile... Michelle went blank and she smiled back.

"It was great seeing you Michelle! Do you think it'd be okay if I were to invite you to this music venue later tonight," Jack asked, hoping she would say 'yes'.

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, sure! I'll be there, just give my number a call and tell me where it's at and I'll be there," she responded. Michelle didn't hesitate to give Jack her number, it was abrupt and maybe too soon, but she couldn't wait to catch up with him.

"Well my lunch break is almost over, So I better get going," Jack told Michelle. He took off and the two were equally shocked.

* * *

 _ **Someone else was about to get a call from her past too.**_

While organizing her Art Studio, Ashley had paintbrushes and canvases on her mind, not some dream-man she envisioned or some guy she was madly infatuated with.

Until the phone rang, a ring in the studio usually meant that some costumer wanted to buy art supplies or it meant that some artist wanted to host it's art show at her studio. This time, however, the ring caught Ashley by surprise.

"Hello, Ashley's Art Studio. How can I help you," Ashley asked, waiting for the person on the line to respond.

The man finally spoke, "Yes, this is Ashley, is that right," The man with the thick-accent said through the phone.

Ashley chuckled, she recognized that French accent right away. "I know you, don't I? Drew, Drew McIntyre," Ashley exclaimed.

 _ **Ashley met Drew McIntyre during her summer escapade to Paris. The two became friends during those short weeks, but they lost contact after Ashley left Paris. Drew was half Scottish and half French, he even had the accent to prove it.**_

"Drew, hey, what are you calling me for... Don't tell me you're in the city, I am about to freak out!" Ashley hadn't felt this excited about any man, since that time she had that embarrassing crush on her now gay friend Dolph.

"Ashley, I am in town, yes, I am here in the Apple! I will be staying in my hotel room getting some rest, but maybe we can go out later this night," Drew said, with a tired rasp to his voice.

Ashley was more happy than what she was willing to admit. "You must be so jet lagged, Okay, I'll make the plans, since I know this place and I'll give you a call when I have something," she told her newbie French friend.

* * *

 _ **The past can be a lovely little summer to some, but to others it can be a cold haunting winter. Candice had begun fighting in court with Wade over custody of Brooklyn, it was getting more and more brutal by the days.**_

"Such a pain in the ass! What a son of a bitch, just stop making it so complicated! I feel so bad for Brooklyn, it must be hell to have go through this as a child," Candice ranted about to her lawyer as the two walked out of the busy court.

The lawyer turned to Candice and she shook her head out of pity for Candice and her breaking family. "I'm so sorry, but don't let Wade get the best of you. If you break before he does, he will most likely keep sole custody of Brooklyn and you will only get supervised visitation," The lawyer warned Candice about.

 _ **Ironically, Candice was just about ready to break into pieces. She was exhausted emotionally over the divorce and it's aftermath, but her musical and her job at the children's hospital were also beginning to eat at her.**_

"I have to go, but I'll give you a call when I have more information on the case," The lawyer said, walking away to stop a cab.

The cloudy September skies soon shed their own tears. It began to rain down on Candice, which was the last thing Candice needed on this miserable day.

"Taxi, wait!" Candice yelled to a cab that passed by, only for the cab to pick somebody else up instead. "Taxi!" Candice yelled again, "Taxi, Oh just f*cking stop for me... Please!"

A cab finally did stop, so Candice rushed through the busy Thursday people to get to the cab. A step in the wrong direction of that staircase and Candice fell right down.

Luckily for Candice, she only fell on that same step, instead of rolling all the way down the long cement staircase.

Droplets of hot coffee bounced onto her arm and it burned. Candice got up, only to find out that her forearms were now all scrapped and even somewhat bloody.

The rain wasn't making this easier, it was beginning to pour more and more. Her makeup was beginning to drip down her face and her wet hair was getting all over her face now.

 _ **Candice had enough, she had to let it all out. Everything she was holding in for the past 5 months was beginning to pour out of her like rain.**_

"Oh, f*ck all of you rude people who aren't even trying to help me up!" Candice helplessly yelled, as she began to throw her coffee in all directions.

Candice didn't care where that coffee landed, she went wild and she threw it all over the place.

"Hey, lady! You got coffee on my briefcase," A walking lawyer said... but he didn't sue her.

Candice ignored him and she ignored everybody else around her. "I f*cking hate this, I hate this!" She would shout over and over again, for about two whole minutes.

 _ **The thing about New York, is that if you are about to fall apart... you better do it privately, because nobody will stop to help you in this fast-moving city.**_

"Get up, You are causing a scene," The security guard said, as he grabbed Candice by the arm.

Candice cried, "Please, I am tired and you don't understand," Candice cried out, but she was soon escorted to the other side of the street, away from the fancy courthouse.

Humiliated and broken, Candice walked home. She called the Children's Hospital and she let them know that she would be taking a 'personal' day off.

* * *

 _ **Rainy Thursday's are good for personal days and they are even better for staying in to watch a movie... flirting especially, can be a fun activity to do whilst it rains.**_

After finishing work, both Torrie and Punk met up to watch some romantic-comedy movie that Torrie had suggested.

"You know this isn't my type of shit. It's apparently supposed to be a 'comedy', but the funniest thing in this movie so far is the fact that they think this is funny," Punk said, laughing, but also giving the movie a shot.

Torrie rolled her eyes, "We're barely 40 minutes into the movie! Come on, it's not that bad and it is funny, trust me," Torrie ensured him. The movie was _Bridesmaids_ and Torrie loved it more than anything, so she was going to force Punk to love it too.

Similar to how she was determined to force Punk to love her too, even if he didn't 'believe' in monogamy or love.

 _ **Torrie's mission was to flirt her ass off, she wanted him to feel and learn a little something about love.**_

Punk's heterosexual brain was still trying to remember the character's names and he was still trying to figure out what on earth the plot was. Torrie watched him judging the movie so closely, so she casually moved in closer to him.

Torrie could feel Punk's body heat at this point. Every time something funny would happen in the movie Torrie would exaggerate her laugh and she would softly brush her hand across the back of his neck or across his arm.

Once the timing was right, Torrie eventually even put her hand on his thigh. Punk didn't notice Torrie's flirtatious moves, until now. Her hand was near Punk's crotch and Punk could feel the soft touch of Torrie's hand.

 _ **Torrie was expecting some lovely 'Daisy-covered hill' to be calm and 'down', but instead she got the 'volcano' and it went way 'up' like a skyscraper.**_

Dirty thoughts eventually went through Punk's head and along with that, came the 'bone'. Torrie felt Punk's jeans slightly move in an upward motion, she casually looked down and some 'volcano' made an appearance out of nowhere.

"Oh, okay. I should get popcorn, we need more popcorn right, I'll go get popcorn," she said, dashing out of the room and using Popcorn as an excuse to escape this awkward moment.

Punk was embarrassed, but he couldn't help it. He didn't believe in love or monogamy, but he sure believed in sex and Torrie was 'sex material' to him... but she was also 'friend material' to him.

 _ **The 'volcano' never 'erupted' for Punk unfortunately.**_

* * *

 _ **No 'volcano' would pop up near where I was, because it was an all girl-hangout. I was getting to spend some girl-time with Christian's two female friends and I was mortified... they both had two kids each and they brought the kids along.**_

"I bought her that little shirt at this cute little store, I forgot the name of it, but I need to take you one day," The happy mom said to the other happy mom. Michelle awkwardly stayed out of the conversation, well she was left out of it.

The woman turned to Michelle, "Oh, well you should take Michelle too! I'm guessing she will want to take her baby there too, when she has a little one with Christian of course," The woman said.

Michelle was uncomfortable, so she laughed it off softly. "Oh, well, I don't know about that yet," Michelle uttered, petrified with the thought of her having a baby all of a sudden.

 _ **I was about 5 years older than these two women, yet I felt like that teenage girl who always get's unnecessary life-lessons from the nosy aunt.**_

"How old are you Michelle," The woman with the ponytail asked Michelle. Before Michelle could answer, the red-headed fellow mother answered for Michelle. "She's 35, I remember Christian saying one time."

The brunette woman with the ponytail was shocked, "And you still don't know if you want to be a mother," She asked.

Michelle shrugged, "I'm waiting for the right time and if it happens, it happens... but if it doesn't, well I don't know," Michelle admitted.

 _ **I believe a woman can be inspiring without having to be a mother, but these women felt otherwise.**_

"Just to let you know, Christian is dying to have kids and he want's to settle down as soon as he finds the right one," The brunette woman told Michelle, scaring Michelle's core.

The ginger woman nodded along, "Yes, all of his closest friends have kids... except for him and he want's to be a father more than anything, but maybe you'll change your mind or maybe you're not even the one" she told Michelle.

Michelle was offended and she was disgusted at the cattiness of these women. The pressure they were putting on her to have kids and to settle down wasn't right. Women in their 30's already get that kind of pressure from society, they don't need it from fellow women.

Michelle awkwardly turned the other cheek, she was trying hard not to gasp or roll her eyes at what these women were telling her.

 _ **At this point, I didn't care if I wasn't 'the one' for Christian. At this point, I wanted to be away and alone from all these ignorant stuck up settled down people.**_

* * *

 _ **Candice used to be one of those 'settled down' people and she was a little stuck up too sometimes. She missed that and she wanted it back, she didn't want to admit it, but the loneliness and the idea of it was killing her.**_

Candice sat there in her cold empty penthouse, where her cozy family used to roam around inside. She didn't miss Wade, but she did miss Brooklyn with all her heart.

The Park Avenue penthouse had these gorgeous large windows across the whole living room, where you could see Central Park and the rest of the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Candice used to look out those windows on rainy days and she would think about how cold and miserable those business people outside must be. For some reason, Candice now felt more cold and miserable in her penthouse, she looked at those businessmen outside and they even seemed to be more warm and lovely than her... ironically.

The rain was pouring hard, the busy people were all rushing around and she could see some still managing to put on a smile through the rain. Candice could do that too, but it was getting to be too tiring for her to put on a show like that.

Candice didn't even want to put on her actual musical show, she missed rehearsals that day and she was having a hard time even getting her mindset ready for the big show tonight.

She instead went to her kitchen and she ate whatever could fill that blue dark void inside of her. Chocolate was a must for Candice and peanut butter too, anything sweet and creamy Candice had to have.

 _ **Candice was in no mood for a show, her life was already practically a dramatic sad movie. These moments weren't new to Candice though, she already felt this cold and miserable even when she was married to Wade. Was this her life, feeling this way and will she always feel this way?**_

* * *

 _ **Torrie was also practically living in a movie, except she was living in a Romantic-Comedy type of movie. Punk was scared of being part of that movie, he was tempted by her and he was beginning to get turned on by her... but he hid it by pushing her away.**_

The movie was nearly done, but Torrie was nowhere near done with her flirting. Punk had enough, he enjoyed somewhat, but he was done for the most part.

Torrie put her hands on his short hair and she began to softly run her hands through it, but she did it casually and playfully. Punk went crazy over her soft and sweet touch, her perfume was starting to make him go crazy for her.

He couldn't let that happen, "Get off, damn! Just chill Torrie, I'm trying to watch this damn movie," Punk abruptly snapped on her. Torrie fell off the couch onto the floor, "Whatever. I'm leaving, just keep the movie or give it back like in two years or whatever," Torrie murmured softly as she got up from the floor.

 _ **Torrie couldn't feel more rejected and unloved than ever. Punk couldn't feel more wanted and loved than ever, but he didn't want it that way and Torrie didn't understand.**_

Torrie was already headed for the door, but Punk felt bad and he had to stop her. "Oh come on, don't go," He told her.

Torrie didn't respond, she just kept walking.

"Torrie, you know how I feel about this whole love shit and all of that intimacy. You're my friend and that's all I want you to be," Punk would tell her, but Torrie wouldn't listen.

Torrie was already out the door, so Punk ran out too. "Torrie, come on! Don't you want to watch your life in a movie... No offense or anything, but you're kind of like a walking Romantic-Comedy movie with a dress on, instead of a DVD box," Punk said, laughing and hoping Torrie would join along and laugh too.

Torrie turned around, but it wasn't the reaction he was expecting. "That is so f*cking rude! I don't even know why I try with you, why are we even friends!? We're completely opposites from each other and-" Torrie was yelling at him, but she stopped herself mid-sentence. Torrie knew that she couldn't keep on giving him her attention or her energy. "Just leave me alone, okay," Torrie said softly.

* * *

 _ **Ashley was getting her own sour taste of friendship from her own guy-friend. Drew invited Ashley to a small afternoon dinner with his friends that he brought along from Paris.**_

"Ashley, so, anything that I need to see in this big city," Drew asked, trying to spark up a conversation.

Ashley has been living in New York for her entire life; that's 36 years of living in the NY state and Ashley still hasn't visited places like the Statue Of Liberty. Ashley almost went once in Elementary School, but she was sick and had to miss the field-trip.

"Uh... The Statue Of Liberty is pretty cool," Ashley guessed, still trying to remember on what Borough that thing could possibly be on. " _Manhattan? No, wait, The Bronx! Wait, Staten Island I think... no, no! Why would it be on Staten Island, ooh maybe Brooklyn?"_ Ashley thought in her head.

Drew shook his head and laughed, "You've lived here for a long time, very long time and you still don't know what's around the corner! Ahh, Ashley, you need to explore more with your friends," Drew told her.

Ashley couldn't help it, she and her friends have visited almost every club and bar in the city... if that counts as 'exploring'. Sometimes they even find foreign coins in the taxi cabs while they have their drunk dizzy heads resting on the seats of the cab... if that counts as 'exploring' too.

 _ **As a New Yorker, I also have never visited the Statue Of Liberty. I've visited more clubs and fashion stores than I have visited old family members, so what? I'm an independent woman, that's right, stay green and envious.**_

The French men all started talking in their fluent language and Ashley could only get the 'New York City' part of their sentences, Ashley was beginning to feel like an airhead and she did not like that.

"Well, you know. The French gave us that statue as a gift, it represents independence and it used to be gold," Ashley let them know, giving them all of the facts she remembered from her Elementary School days.

Drew and his friends all laughed at Ashley, they laughed for minutes. "Ashley, Yes, we know all of that," Drew told her, still laughing at Ashley. "And much more too, huh," One of Drew's friends added, as they all continued to have a good chuckle out of her expense.

"Why don't you go be a hooker somewhere else with that clothes... I'm funny, it's joking," The same friend joked about. He mocked Ashley, without even knowing it, but Ashley ignored it and she let it slide for Drew.

 _ **New Yorker's have tough skin and they're rough, so don't push Ashley's buttons too much or she'll show you what New York really is about.**_

* * *

 _ **While going to meet Jack for the music venue he invited me to, I couldn't help but to feel guilty. I've ditched Christian for Mark and for my friends before, I couldn't keep doing that without at least checking up on him. He might ditch me for his own needs sometimes, but were still together... apart, but together I'd like to think.**_

"Hi, I'm not sure you even want me here, you're probably too tired or something, but Hi," Michelle doubtfully questioned, from the rainy side of Christian's apartment door.

"Don't be silly, I always want you around. Come in, you're getting all wet," Christian insisted, pulling her inside his apartment.

Michelle took off her coat and closed up that red umbrella of her's, "Well, I just wanted to stop and say hello," she said. "Oh and, I'm going to a music venue, I wanted to come and invite you... you know, a nice little thing to do, right?" Michelle had a feeling Christian would turn that down too, but she can say that she at least try'd.

Christian shook his head, "No, I'm sorry... I'd rather just lay around and rest, plus that whole hipster music scene isn't really my thing," Christian responded.

"Okay, well it's not 'hipster' music, I'm almost 40 dude, I can not pull off 'hipster'! And no offense or anything... but your friends weren't really my type of 'scene' either, but I gave them a chance," Michelle shot back at him, no longer hiding the fact.

 _ **I wasn't going to fake it anymore, maybe Christian and I are living in two different worlds? Maybe, I don't really have a spot in his life?**_

Christian laughed, "Well I appreciate that, but you know I'm not that type of guy who likes to go out a lot. And I swear I thought you were getting along with them... so I'm guessing you skipped that whole 'girl-time' thing you planned with Rebecca and Chelsea right," Christian asked. Christian wasn't surprised that his chic girlfriend didn't get along with his 'yoga-mom' friends.

Michelle was dying to tell him everything that happened.

"Nope, I went and I regret it. They were horrible, they were catty and they straight up told me that I wasn't the 'right one' for you... oh and they even shamed me because I wasn't a mother... but you know what, that's just me, always trying out new things," Michelle told him all about.

 _ **I was expecting Christian to get upset, but he didn't seem to care as much as I did.**_

Christian didn't know what to say, "I'm sorry, but that's just how they are. They don't mean harm, they're just looking out for me I guess," Christian let her know.

Michelle shrugged, "I get it, so... Do you want kids and do you want to settle down, because that's what they were telling me," Michelle asked him.

 _ **I wasn't really sure why I even asked those questions, but maybe I asked because I wasn't really even sure where Christian and I were going with this bland relationship of ours.**_

Christian didn't know what to say again, "Yeah, I do. Maybe not today, but within this year... or two," Christian admitted. He wanted one thing and that one thing terrified Michelle to her core.

"You never told me, so I'm guessing... not with me? What are you doing with me then, because I don't want that within one or two years... honestly," Michelle responded. Michelle didn't know how to feel, she wasn't even sure she was feeling anything at all anymore.

Michelle had tied up Christian's hands and Christian didn't know what to tell her. However, one question did pop in his head, _"What am I doing in this relationship, where is this going?"_

Christian, of course, didn't say that out loud. "Well, whatever happens, happens... I guess, we'll just have to wait and see where this goes," Christian finally told her.

"Okay, well I have to go, but call me... If I answer, phones are just too mainstream for my hipster self," Michelle said jokingly, she left and that was the end of their 'intense' conversation.

 _ **If we want different things, then what's the point of this? It's like I'm dancing in the present and he's just running to the future.**_

* * *

 _ **Candice was in between her past and her present. The past was haunting her and she couldn't stop thinking about it, while the present was pulling her back into the rocky reality. She was 40 minutes late for the big show, but at this point she didn't care.**_

"Candice, what the hell are you doing? You're on in like 3 minutes," The producer yelled at her.

Candice rolled her eyes and turned to him, "Look, I'm here. I already put my costume on and my makeup is all done, so calm down," Candice yelled back at him.

The producer shook his head at her, "Your costume is on backwards! Your makeup isn't right, we specifically put our makeup on you so that the lights won't make your face all shiny," He said, with his finger in Candice's face. "You even missed rehearsals," He added in.

 _ **Candice was a mess and not a hot-mess according to the producer of her musical.**_

She was fifteen minutes late, but Candice managed to make it on stage. She was in the zone for the first few minutes of the show. The more the show went on for, the more Candice began to get tired and the more she began to lag.

The audience members didn't notice Candice's struggle to keep up at first, but the cast of the show did notice it and they were beginning to worry for Candice and the show.

About one hour left on the clock, Candice was half-way done with the show. One of her big moments came along; Candice had to get on top of a queen-sized bed and she would have to lip-sync from there, followed by a trust fall into the arms of her fellow cast members.

They were all terrified, they knew Candice was capable of doing all of that... but not tonight, she seemed out of it.

Candice finished the second chorus of the song and it was time for her to fall. Instead of doing a 'small' trust fall, Candice went in for a full-on giant dive.

 _ **Candice had too much emotions inside of her that were ready to blow up. The lights were tempting and they made Candice feel that much more overwhelmed.**_

The cast members all watched and panicked as Candice flew over their heads. They all tried to grab her, but it was too late.

A few were able to grab her legs, but that only made the fall worse. Candice fell face first onto the floor, her lower body then followed and fell right along with the rest of her.

The audience members from the front row all stood up in shock, they watched as Candice lied there on the stage's cold floor. The cast members all paused, they didn't know what to do.

The whole show stopped for a few minutes as Candice slowly got up from the floor, but she just sat there looking out at all of the disappointed faces in the audience.

The producer quickly rushed out with help, they checked on her and Candice was in no mood to talk. "Call in her understudy. I will not allow her to perform tonight," The producer demanded.

Candice walked off and she didn't perform that night, the show had to start all over from the beginning and the people were not happy.

 _ **Candice couldn't go on with this big show of her's, it was all fake. She was truly unhappy.**_

* * *

"I came to apologize... which you know is hard for me to do, but for you... I'm sorry, I'm sorry okay," Punk repeated to Torrie. He cared about her as a friend and he didn't want to lose that bond they formed over the past few months.

Torrie was upset, but she knew how much it probably took for Punk to apologize."You pretty much rejected me in the most humiliating way... but I forgive you and I hope you forgive me and my craziness too," Torrie said to her friend.

Punk laughed, he couldn't agree more about her craziness, but he also wanted to help her out. "One of my friend's is throwing a cocktail party and you know that's not really my shit, but do you want to go... it's an open invite," Punk proposed the idea to Torrie.

 _ **Torrie thought Punk invited her to be his date, but he invited her so that she could find somebody else for herself.**_

Torrie smiled brightly and she already knew what she was going to wear for that party. "Sure, I would love that!" she exclaimed. Torrie was pumped up for this cocktail party, Punk finally asked her out on a real date... at least that's what she thought just happened.

* * *

 _ **After the disappointing show, Candice remembered that she had invited the little girl from the hospital to watch her perform. It suddenly hit her that she just let that little girl down.**_

Candice was in the middle of taking off her runny makeup, when she suddenly came across the little girl and her family. "Hey, I'm sorry about tonight, but feel free to come another time... totally on me," Candice whispered to the family of three.

The little girl looked disappointed, but she looked back up with a smile. "You did good, your replacement wasn't as good," The little girl reassured Candice.

Candice was on the verge of crying, but she gave a smile instead. That smile didn't last though. The little girl's parents couldn't let their daughter watch such a train-wreck of a grown woman.

"Honey, go wait in the hall with your mother," The father said to the little girl. He waited for them to leave and then he turned to Candice, "We think it's best that you don't communicate with our daughter. Her life is already tough, we don't need her surrounded by negativity. I don't know what you're going through, but you are a mess and you need help," He told Candice, without holding back.

 _ **Candice hated that father in that moment, but she didn't blame him and she hated herself more. An idea that sickened her came across her mind, if she goes down... will Brooklyn go down with her? She was beginning to feel like her own son was better off in the hands of sane & healthy Wade.**_

* * *

 _ **Later at Rockwood Music Hall, Drew was rocking Ashley's mind and Ashley was not expecting to find herself feeling that way.**_

The music was more intimate and acoustic-like, it was folk-rock mixed with a little indie. Ashley was enjoying a moment of just Drew... without any of his obnoxious friends. It felt like Paris in the Summer all over again for Ashley, just her enjoying herself and the innocent feelings of the world.

Drew wasn't too much of a music fan, but he was enjoying this and he was enjoying Ashley's company. The music started to speed up and the room started shaking. Drew didn't understand, but Ashley moved along with the crowd and she jumped up & down like that free young heart of her's.

Drew looked at her funny. When Ashley turned to see if he was enjoying himself, he gave her a wink and moved a little too... but he was a bit more stiff in his movement.

 _ **Ashley was feeling herself and Drew did not understand, but Ashley had it going on that night.**_

* * *

 _ **Right next to dancing Ashley, I was dancing in the flames too. Jack and I were having the times of our lives, it truly did feel like those old times.**_

"You know... I missed you and I forgot why I missed you... but now I remember," Michelle said into Jack's ear.

 _ **We were young and we had fun, we were wild and we somehow managed to stay that way a decade later.**_

Jack gave her a smile, "I missed you too! I haven't had this kind of night in such a long time," Jack told her, trying to speak clearly over the music.

The two looked into each other's eyes for a minute, they were going back in time and the feelings were beginning to re-surface after all of these long years.

Michelle shook herself out of it and she casually got back into the music. Christian was over for that night, he was asleep, but to Michelle he was still there and she couldn't possibly occupy her heart with a second man.

Christian trusted her to go out with Jack and Michelle couldn't repeat that whole previous saga, where Mark and Christian were both roommates in that heart of her's.

It was a fun and nostalgic night, and nothing more.

 _ **I was getting this sweet nostalgic taste of my past and boy were those wild times, but the only place this girl is going to is forward. I don't care what man comes along or what man comes back around to dance with me in the moment, I will never look back and I will never hold myself back. I will never be as young as I used to be a minute ago, but if I live freely... that won't matter. I've got my friends and myself on this fabulous ship of mine, whatever man decides to join along for the ride will be lucky... but I'll let time handle that one.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Jack Swagger, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, and Christian.**

 **Written & Created By~ Jonathan N.**

 **Published On September 18, 2015.**


	4. A Second Try Is Always Sweeter

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 4: A Second Try Is Always Sweeter**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **After those wild nights, came the slower mornings. It was a Saturday morning, which meant that Christian and I were headed out for our weekend routine of getting breakfast at that same old favorite restaurant of Christian's. It was no Breakfast at Tiffany's, but Christian loved that little place at the corner by the Bodega.**_

Michelle wasn't really in the mood, neither was Christian. They were both just walking to walk, without thrill or excitement. Their dates have been dead for a long time now, their sex was beginning to be the same old repetitive routine, but the last thing they had was passionate romance.

Christian's passion for romance died a long time ago, but Michelle held onto her passion. However, even she was beginning to lose the grip of that passion.

"This is... This is nice," Michelle said, breaking the silence. By 'nice' she meant boring.

Christian turned to Michelle and he raised his eyebrow in suspicion. "Yeah... nice?" Christian repeated. By 'nice' he also meant boring and he knew that that's what she meant too.

The streets were loud, like always, but the silence between the couple spoke louder than all of that ruckus.

 _ **I wanted to go somewhere else and he did too, we were like two ships sailing in different directions.**_

"I feel like I'm holding you back," Christian let out.

Michelle chuckled, "I feel like I'm holding you back too," Michelle said back to him. They thought and felt that same doubt, but they thought and felt different feelings.

"I want kids and I want marriage. I want somebody who I can have something in common with... That's the truth," Christian admitted to his girlfriend.

That stung Michelle a little, but it was also relieving to her. "I want someone else, someone who I can feel at home with. I want to run and I want adventure... and that's my truth," Michelle admitted too.

The two stopped and they both looked at each other. "Then what are we doing," Christian asked.

Michelle wondered the same thing and she shrugged, "I don't know about me or you... but as for us, well, we should probably break up," Michelle replied to her now 'ex'-boyfriend.

Christian nodded in agreement, "No hard feelings, right," Christian asked, making sure they could end on a clean slate.

 ** _Just another classic New York breakup- Dramatic, yet so unbelievably simple._**

Michelle gave him a peace sign and she walked the other way. She walked to her own morning routine, she picked up a beagle and she picked up her cup of coffee, along with a copy of some fashion magazine. That was her and that was her life, her morning with no boyfriend.

 _ **The anchor to our ships were finally dropped. I felt so free and it was so liberating, I finally was able to take that fresh breath of air. Being single felt great.**_

* * *

 _ **Being single for Candice meant that she had to do double the more than what she used to do while being married. That included waking herself up, when surrounded by silence. That also meant that she had to rush herself to a musical she was supposed to be at for rehearsals.**_

"I'll be there in about 20 minutes," Candice said to the producer of the musical, who was on the phone begging Candice to not miss rehearsals this time.

Candice also knew that she couldn't afford to miss rehearsals again, not after that fall she took during the last show.

It took her about 37 minutes, but Candice was fully clothed and ready to go. While walking out the door of her penthouse, she realized that her white buttoned-blouse was on backwards.

"Really, really right now," Candice grunted. She tried unbuttoning the blouse, but that took her forever. So Candice entirely took the blouse off and with the door wide open, she let herself be exposed with nothing covering her breast. The bra she put on snapped from the back and she didn't realize this, so when she lifted up her blouse the bra came off along with it.

 _ **Candice was beginning to expose her entire self, unintentionally of course. Her personal life was being exposed by a series of meltdowns and breakdowns, and now her body was being exposed too.**_

A businessman who's lived across Candice's penthouse for years happened to walk out during that moment, he was surprised by the sight of Candice's breast just out on the loose.

Candice didn't notice at first, but she was beginning to feel the shivers go up her spine and her breast felt oddly cold.

The man and Candice made awkward eye-contact, he froze at the sight of her 'snowballs' and it wasn't even December yet. Candice didn't know what to do, she started taking steps back into her penthouse, but the door was practically telling her to just go on with the day.

When taking paces back, she accidentally hit the doorknob and the door pushed her right to the floor.

"Are you f*cking kidding me," Candice quietly said to herself as she hit the floor hard. Her rib-cage was most likely broken now, but her dignity and pride were far more broken.

The businessman awkwardly walked away, he was married and he knew to stay away from such temptation. Even helping her up was too much for him to do.

Candice was finally alone in that hallway of rich selfish people, she fixed her hair and she adjusted her blouse a little and off she went.

 _ **Candice's body was now bruised, but not as bruised as her heart was. She was humiliated, but she's been through far worse moments and she wasn't going to let that single embarrassing moment stop her from going on with the rest of this day.**_

* * *

 _ **Ashley was also going on with her day, but Drew was beginning to ruin it. She had invited him to her home Brooklyn, in hopes that he would get to know her more and that he would begin to love the real her... but he only loved perfection and she, nor did anybody else, have 'perfection'.**_

"Manhattan is great, obviously, I mean I live there... but don't count Brooklyn out! Brooklyn is the new Manhattan you know," Ashley informed Drew as the two walked down the neighborhood of Williamsburg.

Drew disagreed, "I don't think so! Manhattan is where I always go when I come to visit, it is really the only beautiful place in New York" Drew argued.

Ashley didn't know what to say, "Okay, well agree to disagree," She said.

"Look, there's my old apartment! It was the first one where I actually lived alone, like ten years ago," Ashley exclaimed as she pointed to the building.

Drew observed and he try'd comprehending, but he couldn't get past the whole vibes of that neighborhood. He just didn't get New Yorkers and their 'scenes'.

Their was a group of hipsters smoking cigarettes and talking poetry outside of that apartment building, next to them a punk-rock couple were practically humping each other near the tree of that same apartment building.

 _ **Ashley was so proud of that sight, her neighborhood had changed so much since, it was almost 'cooler' now... Ashley did it first though.**_

Drew shook his head and he let out a groan of disappointment, "What are they doing? I don't get it, were you a hooker or did you do drugs in that apartment? I don't like this," Drew admitted and thanks to that thick French accent of his, Ashley wasn't as offended.

Only Ashley could understand New York and all of it's weirdness, so she didn't blame him. "Well, they're young and no I wasn't a hooker on drugs when I lived there," Ashley reassured him. Drew nodded, but he still had his doubts.

Ashley could see the look on Drew's face. He was uncomfortable and bothered, so she took him away to a more 'normal' area of Brooklyn... where the hipsters were nowhere to be seen and where the kids weren't just out and about in the streets enjoying themselves.

 _ **Ashley felt the need to fulfill this fantasy Drew had of her, except it was a fantasy and fantasy's are never real.**_

Before Ashley could escape that nostalgic neighborhood of her's, a certain person recognized Ashley. "Hey, Ashley! How are you," The hipster lady greeted Ashley.

The hipster lady regularly went to Ashley's art studio there in Brooklyn, the two would even paint together sometimes and they became close friends over the years.

Ashley waved to her, but she panicked when she saw the peeing man right next to her hipster friend. Drew already saw Ashley as a drug-addict who was also a dumb hooker, who knows what he would think about her after this.

Ashley quickly walk away with Drew, without looking back. The hipster lady was beyond confused, but she didn't take it personal, mostly because she was high on acid rock. "Ashley, was he peeing? Was that man peeing, you know them," he asked like a scared little boy would.

 _ **That 'hipster chick' with the flowers in her hair was Ashley like 6 years ago. Ashley thought she was cool and she thought she was on top of the world, but over the years she began to meet men like Drew and she suddenly changed... in a bad insecure way.**_

* * *

 _ **Candice also once felt like she was on top of the world, but in a quick second, the heavy world was suddenly on top of her and it wasn't give her a chance to breathe.**_

Although her morning was off to a bad start, Candice was determined to give the day a second try. She was ready to rehearse, except she couldn't focus, because she was too busy worrying about the child custody of her son and she kept replaying that embarrassing moment where her breast were exposed to her neighbor earlier today.

Candice's stiff and unmotivated movements were beginning to drag the whole crew's rhythm and flow, so a fellow actress had to call her out on it.

"I get that this is your musical, but I'm here to help you make it better and you're making that very hard for me! So can you please just get the moves right, instead of messing everybody up," The young brunette abruptly and roughly said to Candice.

 _ **Candice was a 40 year old woman who has dealt with many bitches in her life, until recently she realized her husband was the biggest bitch of them all, and she was in mood to deal with any more.**_

Candice stopped and she turned to her slowly, "Excuse me?! You have no idea what I am putting up with, so I suggest you just shut up," Candice said, raising her voice more and more with every word.

The young actress turned to look away and she sarcastically chuckled under her breath, but Candice heard and the brunette actress was about to hear Candice finally really breaking.

Candice rushed to her and within seconds Candice was all up in her face, "YOU RUDE LITTLE WHORE, I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO MOCK ME, I SWEAR I AM SECONDS AWAY FROM PULLING OUT YOUR HAIR," Candice aggressively yelled in the young actresses face. The brunette 'whore' was terrified, she was shaking inside and she was regretting calling Candice out the way she did.

"I AM SO F*CKING DONE! YOU WANT A GOOD SHOW, I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD SHOW, BECAUSE I'M DONE! YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS BAD, WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE ME PURPOSELY SABOTAGE THIS WHOLE SHIT," Candice continued to ruthlessly yell. Her hand reached out for the young actresses face, but the producer came from behind and he grabbed her with all his force.

"Candice, you're battling for child custody, If this goes on a police report... you're done," He reminded her.

He was right and Candice had to just turn the cheek in this scenario. Candice took a deep breath in, she backed away and she simply walked away. "Good day, I'm leaving! And by the way, I'd like to see you try to juggle everything I'm dealing with right now," Candice said as she dismissed herself.

 _ **Sometimes second try's are bitter, but at least you try'd.**_

* * *

"I broke up with Christian, well it was more of a mutual agreement... so technically he broke up with me too," Michelle notified the women, as she sat down to order.

Ashley was more surprised by how good the chocolate muffin tasted, than by Michelle's news. "I saw it coming... I mean, you were at that music venue with Jack and not Christian," Ashley reminded her.

Torrie's face lit up for Michelle, "Wait, are you talking about that infamous 'Jack Swagger' you would occasionally talk about when I first met you! He's back in your life, oh my god, how exciting!" Torrie exclaimed, with more excitement in her one finger than in the entire body of Ashley. However, Michelle was just as excited too, except she kept it in.

 _ **I blushed, which I never do, which is why I changed the subject.**_

"Anyway, what about you Ashley? How are things going with the Paris guy," Michelle asked.

Ashley dropped her fork and looked up at her, "Oh no, don't try to change the subject like that Mrs. 'Falling In Love With The Guy That Screwed You In The Past'," Ashley said roughly to Michelle, half joking but also half serious.

Michelle shook her head. She understood where Ashley was coming from, but she was beginning to see Jack in a new light.

"Look, I'm just saying, be careful! If he hurt you in the past, he might do it again! Drew was like a really cool guy in my past, but now he's like a total douche... an attractive douche that is," Ashley warned Michelle about, from own-experience.

Ashley was somewhat right and Michelle was completely out of words, so Torrie jumped in. "Well, when I first met Punk, he was a big jerk and completely rude... but now, he's sweet and someone I consider a friend! People change, it happens," Torrie told Ashley and Michelle.

 _ **They were both right. Second try's can either be bitter or sweet, but you'll never know unless you take them.**_

The 3 women continued conversing over their brunch, but it didn't feel full. Candice was missing, but she finally showed up last minute. She walked in and she quickly ordered, but she stayed silent and the girls found it odd.

Michelle chose to be the one to ask, "Okay, nice to see you too. Just sit down like that all abruptly without even saying anything! What is going on," Michelle asked Candice, worried.

Candice hopelessly looked up, "I am falling apart! I showed my tits to my married neighbor and he has a loud mouth, so now I'll be known as the whore of the penthouse building! Oh and I nearly punched a woman in the face, and I just noticed this bruise on my rib-cage that my doorknob left on me," Candice went on about, summarizing her day so far to the 3 women.

All 3 of them were confused, but whatever it was, they wanted to be there for her. Candice felt like crying, but she hated being vulnerable, so she leaned her sad head on the table and it didn't take much for the 3 friends to be there by her side. Torrie was sitting on the right chair next to Candice, to the left Ashley was crouching down on the floor right next to Candice and Michelle was sitting straight across Candice, with her hands on Candice's arms.

"Don't give up," Torrie whispered into Candice's ear. Candice appreciated it all, but she would never admit it... she had too much pride to ever show her feelings.

 _ **We were all inspired in that moment. Just when we were all thinking about giving up, we knew we couldn't and we knew that a second or third try wouldn't kill us.**_

* * *

 _ **After that dramatic brunch, Torrie was about to put herself to the test of 'not giving up'.**_

Torrie was wearing her honey golden-beige cocktail gown, that came flowing down just a few centimeters above her knees. She had her hair up in a Cinderella-like bun and she was wearing her pearl earrings, everything about her was very graceful.

Torrie was stunning and she was expecting to see her shining knight in armor, in this case her 'Punk' in armor to come to her, but he was nowhere to be seen.

 _ **Torrie didn't even know the host of the cocktail party, she had no date and her heels were beginning to kill her feet. Just when Torrie thought the test of 'not giving up' was over, she was about to be surprised with a pop-quiz of 'giving people second chances'.**_

Torrie casually walked down the stairs of the beautiful Upper East Side hotel lobby and she was determined to make the most of this, because she wasn't going to go home after getting herself all movie-glamorous like.

Out of all the people in the room, one man in particular caught her eye. He turned around and with a new haircut, Brock smiled with those same dreamy white teeth.

"Oh my god! I think I'm going sick," Torrie whispered to herself as she rushed to the bathroom. The bathroom was down the hall, behind the crowd of all the well-dressed people. Torrie hid herself behind the guests and hearing Brock's voice just made her head spin in circles. She did not want to be seen by Brock and she wanted nothing to do with him, so hiding in the bathroom for about an hour suited her best.

 _ **Torrie was all about giving people a second try, but giving an ex-boyfriend a second try just made her anxious. Brock was like a strawberry cupcake and Torrie was the diabetic human being that needed to stay away from such bittersweet treat.**_

* * *

 _ **I was like a person on a diet, but I was finally going back to my own sweet strawberry cupcake after all these years... although Mark was pretty sweet, this was a different type of sweet.**_

"Hey, what a surprise... running into you like this," Michelle exclaimed as she brushed her hand on Jack's arm.

Jack gave her a smile, "Yeah, what a surprise... except you texted me that you would be in the area, so not that surprising," Jack said with laughter in his tone.

Michelle smiled and shrugged, "Well, I'm glad you got curious and came out to look for me! I mean, I couldn't help it, I wanted to see you," Michelle admitted to him, blushing the same way she would when she first met him.

Jack threw his head back and laughed at her cuteness, "I'm not doing anything today, do you wanna do something," Jack wondered. He was ready to take her away, but he had one more question to ask.

"Are you free? And by free, I mean like boyfriend-less," Jack asked, wondering if her heart was open to conquer.

 _ **He never knew about Christian and it'd be crazy to tell him that I did have a boyfriend just a few hours ago, I felt guilty. However, what was in the past is in the past. It's like bringing up muffins in a cupcake shop, it's just unnecessary.**_

Michelle shook her head, "I'm free, my day is free, I'm free," Michelle answered, with a smile on her face.

Jack put his arm around Michelle's shoulders, "It's kind of cold, but maybe that'll change later on the day," Jack said, as the two walked over to the bench nearby to sit.

* * *

While waiting for the subway, Drew couldn't help but to stare at Ashley... or in this case, critic her and her looks. "You look good in that little outfit... but isn't it too chilly for that," Drew told Ashley, half complimenting her and half criticizing her.

Ashley, again, didn't know what to say. "I'm fine, but thank you! You look good too by the way," Ashley responded. Unlike him, she fully complimented him.

Just like 'everything' else, he also already knew that. In his opinion, his European features were far much more attractive than the features of all those New York men... even than the flocks of male models that roamed around the Big Apple.

Ashley felt his eyes on her, she didn't want to admit it, but she felt wanted and she loved that. Little did she know, that his eyes were concentrated on some other woman. Ashley turned to look at him, but he was too busy looking at the woman behind her.

"Hello, I'm Drew! I'm here from Paris, just visiting and I am so focused on your beauty right now," Drew said to the chic businesswoman as he extended his arm right in front of Ashley's face to shake the woman's hand.

The woman turned to him and smiled, "Paris, huh? Believe it or not, I'm actually French... French-Canadian to be exact! Oh and I didn't want to say anything, but you are very handsome too! Here's my number, if you aren't leaving this place anytime soon... Maryse by the way," the thin woman with the long hair told him.

 _ **Drew was about ready to leave the city for Paris, but this woman infatuated him and he was willing to stay longer. The businesswoman from Canada was also loving the big city right now, in fact, the only actual person born in this city was ironically the one wanting to leave it more than ever right now.**_

Ashley awkwardly stood there, pissed and insecure. "We're actually going to an art studio in Brooklyn, if you want to join us... she's just my friend," Drew said to the woman, making it very clear that Ashley wasn't more than just a good old friend.

A businesswoman like Maryse was usually a very busy woman, but her day happened to be free. "Sure, I would love to," She replied.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "Oh my god, kill me! Just run me over with this subway, like right now," Ashley grunted under her breath, feeling more miserable than ever.

Drew and the woman, Maryse, talked the whole time in the subway. Meanwhile, Ashley was feeling like invisible crap... although, the homeless man next to her surely noticed her and his boner was making that very clear.

* * *

 _ **Ashley was feeling invisible when all she wanted was to be noticed, while Torrie wanted to be invisible and go by unnoticed, even in her beautiful Chanel dress. Torrie was hiding from her unresolved feelings, but her ex-boyfriends would always bring those feelings back.**_

After being in the restroom for nearly one hour, Torrie finally stepped out of there. She needed to face her past and she couldn't fall to her knees everytime she happened to come face to face with that past, it was a hard thing for her to do. However, she was determined to face that no matter how hard, but seeing Brock only feet away from her was intimidating.

Brock was waiting outside the hall, near the men's restroom coincedentally, for some reason.

The timing was just perfect, it was a little too coincidental and Torrie didn't like it. Torrie panicked and turned around to go back into the restroom, after all, the hotel's restroom was pretty nice and fancy.

She wouldn't mind spending another hour in there, but she was too nervous to function, she couldn't even open the door to the restroom.

 _ **Seeing him reminded her of everything that went wrong, but seeing him also reminded her of everything that felt so good to her craving heart.**_

A group of wealthy successful women pulled on the door from the inside of the restroom, all while Torrie struggled to push the door from the outside of the restroom.

"Excuse me, we were trying to open the door and you made that very hard for us with your yanking," The woman with the curly red hair told Torrie.

Torrie was embarrassed, "I'm sorry," Torrie said, simple and short. Torrie speaking did not do any favors for her, Brock heard the familiar voice and he turned to look her way. Torrie and Brock made eye-contact for a short second, the women were still in front of the bathroom door, so Torrie had no choice but to hide like a fool.

 _ **Torrie didn't believe in hiding from your past, but when he comes towards you with a sharp new haircut and with that same smile that you fell in love with... it get's you feeling, well, like hiding.**_

Torrie wasn't thinking straight, so she abruptly crouched down behind the hotel's large artificial plant. "What are you doing? What a weirdo," The stuck-up women said about Torrie as they walked away in giggles.

Brock chuckled as he shook his head, "Torrie, I see you," He said to her.

It was too late to crab-walk into the bathroom, so she casually pretended to be adjusting her heel... but nobody bought that act.

"What are you doing," Brock asked. Torrie looked up nervously, "I don't know, I didn't expect to see you here... how are you," Torrie asked, hoping he could forget this whole hiding incident.

Brock shrugged, "Well, I didn't expect to see you either... but my first instinct wouldn't be to hide from you. Let's talk, just us," Brock suggested.

* * *

 _ **Candice felt like hiding from everybody and everything too, but Torrie earlier inspired her not to give up on the day. Candice was there for rehearsals and she was giving this very tough day a second try. The day was like a cherry lollipop you drop on the floor after only a few seconds of having it, it's not worth throwing it away, so you wash the sweet thing.**_

After slipping away for about 4 hours for her own personal time, she finally quitely slipped back in through the back doors of the theatre building.

Everybody froze the second they saw Candice walk in, "I'm here, let's do this," Candice declared to the producer and the few remaining cast members of the musical. Candice walking in was the only cue needed for the 20 year old actress to finally dismiss herself from rehearsals.

She didn't feel comfortable or safe being in the same room with the woman who nearly broke her nose, but Candice caught a glimpse of her before she could leave.

"Wait! Becky, right? Look I want to apologize for what happened earlier, I'm really really sorry. And I don't say sorry a lot, but it was unprofessional of me to blow up in your face like that, so please don't leave or feel like you can't be in the same building as me," Candice explained to the young actress, Becky Lynch.

Becky turned to her before finally exiting, "Look, I got more heat about it than you did. Why? Hell, because you are the little princess boss of this whole musical and I'm just random actress who's working under YOUR production... so I probably shouldn't make the queen upset next time or else I won't get my check, instead I'll get a punch," Becky shaded Candice, teetering between the line of 'I Quit' and 'Bring It Bitch'.

 _ **Candice could be just as bitchy, but she'd rather bite her tongue on this one. The actress took drama classes, but Candice wanted none of that drama in her already complicated life.**_

"Okay then! I deserved that, anyway... I know you guys have been at it for hours, but can you please go over it with me at least once," Candice begged for a second try from those passionate & dedicated actors that remained in the theatre stage around her. "Honey this is a hobby for us, I wouldn't spend my weekend any other way! Trust me, this is fun for us," One of the young flamboyant actors informed Candice, willing to help.

 _ **Candice was there giving the day a chance and the second try was far sweeter... but once in a while, sometimes, you just have to take those bitter bites to appreciate that sweet taste you'll get afterwards.**_

* * *

 _ **Ashley was getting no sweetness out of her day and that was beginning to make her feel pathetic and miserable.**_

After having to third-wheel Drew and the new woman he met Maryse, Ashley was finally given some time to just breathe alone with Drew. While Maryse was in the restroom, Ashley wanted to take advantage of this alone-time to finally show Drew her artwork.

"Look at this! This was what actually inspired me to go to Paris," Ashley told him, as she re-observed the details of the Eiffel Tower painting she did a while ago... but Drew didn't really care, he was too busy having Maryse on his mind.

Drew seemed to ignore everything Ashley would say, "Can you believe Maryse is French like me, she's so beautiful to me," Drew went on about.

 _ **Ashley was hurt and she felt more unwanted than a fruitcake, it wasn't a pretty feeling, but she hid it to keep her pride up.**_

"Okay... anyway, are you into art, because I was thinking we could maybe have a painting session together sometime," Ashley suggested to Drew, still trying to fight for him.

Drew turned his head around, right when Maryse appeared from the hallway. "What did I miss," Maryse flirtatiously asked Drew, as she gave him a smile. "Nothing," Drew responded, offending Ashley in the process.

"Wow, you smell really good," Drew told Maryse, as her perfume intoxicated his heart and mind. Ashley shook her head, but after a while, the smell came to her too and Ashley couldn't deny that it was a really good smelling perfume.

Drew turned to Ashley, "She just came out of the restroom, but she still smells better than this whole place... and you," Drew jokingly said as he and Maryse began to laugh. Maryse subtly stopped laughing after a few seconds, once she saw the unhappy expression on Ashley's face.

Ashley was 'over' Drew, but she really wasn't. Ashley was determined to show Maryse us and she was ready to prove Drew wrong, although it was childish, Ashley happened to be a very competitive person.

* * *

 _ **Torrie hiding from Brock was more pointless than her having to shave her upper-thigh area. The two got to talking and everything between them was rekindled like a candle being lit on a cake full of disappointments.**_

The two were so lost in each other that they didn't even notice how much time was going by. However, they did notice the time they spent apart from each other, which is why they had to catch up and get so lost within their conversation.

It seemed like the time apart pulled them in closer, they were on opposite sides of the rubber-band and they just instantaneously came crashing back in. The sparks were still there and after all these months of being broken up, they still somehow remained single... busy, but nonetheless single.

"So, you're 30 now and in a different place, right," Brock asked, wondering if this young girl he met back in February had at all changed within this 6 month period.

Torrie shrugged, "Yes I am 30... and I'd like to think that I am in a better place right now... I've changed, in ways that I can't explain," Torrie insisted, the part she couldn't 'explain' was Punk and what he taught her about love and relationships.

Brock changed over those 6 months too, except he was 12 years older than Torrie, so him changing wasn't necessarily a good thing... at least for Torrie that is. It made things complicated and the reason why Torrie broke up with Brock in the first place, was due to her feeling like less of a person around this great successful man known as 'Brock Lesnar'.

 _ **Their relationship was like a cake. Their first try was them simply putting the cake away in the fridge, but this time around the cake had a chance of blowing up in their faces if try'd out for a second time.**_

Torrie wasn't flirting, she's spent too much time with Punk that she has begun to forget about those flirtatious ways. However, Brock still flirted and he showed her that by 'accidentally' putting his hand on her's. The two made eye-contact and the tension between them was passionately real.

"I missed you, we should give this a second shot? I'm feeling it, I'm taking you on a date by the way, so where should we go," Brock confidently declared. When Torrie first met Brock, she was impressed by his confidence and that still caught her eye till this day.

"But I pick the restaurant and I lead the night," Torrie fiercely fired back at him, giving him a taste of her own confidence. She missed that passion and Brock sure gave her a good taste of it.

 ** _Torrie was blowing that candle, wishing for some good old long-lasting love._**

* * *

 _ **I was also wishing on that love from a man who would've given me that love 14 years ago if I had said 'yes'. Was I crazy to finally want that love a decade later?**_

"I'm not surprised you never ran into me in the 13 years after we stopped seeing each other... mostly because I've technically only been living here for 2 years ever since. I moved to Oregon because this city got lonely for me and about 2 years ago I decided to give New York another chance, so here I am and here you are, right where I left you," Jack explained, feeling the nostalgia running through his veins.

Michelle was surprised, "No way! 'Mr. Manhattan' moving away from... well, Manhattan, I don't believe it and to humble Oregon of all places? You know, when I moved here I did not know what the hell New York was about, but you really guided me and I saw you as the embodiment of this whole city! Everybody else did too, I still remember getting engaged to you and you being called the 'Biggest Socialite of Manhattan' by that one Manhattan local magazine. Who knew that I would be the one staying, I for sure thought I wouldn't make it in this melting pot," Michelle admitted to him, with the winds around her feeling very familiar.

 _ **It felt like 1999 all over again. I felt like that excited young girl who was optimistic and ready for anything to come her way, the feeling was good and it was a feeling I missed so much.**_

Jack shrugged, "Well, what can I say! I was living here for about 6 years before you came along and I thought I would stay here forever, but who knew that 'Miss. Small Town' girl would drive a big city guy like me out of this Big Apple," Jack told her, recalling those unhappy times of his life. "Losing my fiance, my office firing me over personal reasons I was dealing with, losing nearly all of my friends... It was a dark time for me, but I've let go of that and that was in the past," Jack shed light on the whole dark topic.

Michelle felt uncomfortable, but she knew that he truly was over it and she was over it too, a long time ago actually. "Well, I'm sorry about that. I was young and I was scared, I just wasn't sure of anything," Michelle explained.

Jack shook his head and he brushed it off, "So where's this apartment of your's," Jack asked Michelle, changing the topic without transition.

Michelle pointed to the staircase, "That's right, my own apartment! Come, you have to see how much of my old clothes I kept, you'll recognize a couple of the pieces," Michelle teased him about as she walked up the black metal staircase that lead to her apartment door.

 _ **For the first time since Mark, I felt warm and secure in this giant cold world. I had moved on from Jack a long time ago, but running into him felt new and he felt new, I felt new, everything was new in this ever-changing city. I lost a boyfriend this morning and I got a new old one this afternoon, it was all sweet and I was simply dancing in September. A second try can kill you sometimes, but it can also be a sweet re-discovery of an old treasure chest you lost years ago.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Christian, Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch, Brock Lesnar, Jack Swagger, and Maryse Ouellet.**

 **Written & Created By~ Jonathan N.**

 **Published On September 25, 2015.**


	5. Let's Celebrate Us!

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 5: Let's Celebrate Us!**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **Some women still seem to need the approval of men, but the significant approval lies within yourself. Love is wonderful, but if it's stressing you out and if it makes you insecure, then that's not love... it's bullshit.**_

Although Ashley knew that Drew preferred Maryse over her, she just wasn't ready to give up on him that easily. She was beginning to feel insecure, but every little thing Drew did to make her believe that he was actually interested in her was a token of self-validation for her... which was a new low for Ashley. Not too long ago, 'Miss. Independent' was shooting down men, but it's a different story now that a man who she's actually interested in has come along. Now she's 'Miss. Obsessive Crazy' looking to win his heart over.

 _ **It was 1:00 P.M. and some women were on little picnics with their crushes. While, Ashley on the other hand, was secretly getting a psychic reading on whether or not Drew was 'the one' for her and if he at all had mutual feelings for her.**_

The older Arabic psychic reader had seen many helplessly hopeful women like Ashley in her long career in the business, but it always seemed to be about the same few things. Men, guys, and boys.

"Okay, well, I don't see him having an eye for you. He is closer to another woman, one that is right in front of him... but I don't see you having anything to do with the picture, but I do see you one day finding someone... just not right now honey and that picture is very blurry to me," The Arabic woman informed Ashley, with only honesty to give to Ashley.

 _ **Ashley didn't want honesty, she wanted to hear the cute fluffy fairy-tale... but the truth was the truth and it came with no fluff.**_

"Are you sure it works?" Ashley asked. She started poking the crystal ball, which made the psychic reader mad, but she continued to poke and poke like a child would. "Maybe it's broken, does it run on like batteries or something? You know, there's a liquor store right around the corner, it's no CVS, but they have batteries, if you want me to go buy some," Ashley insisted, not wanting to believe what this woman had to say.

 _"This bitch is crazy,"_ The psychic reader said in Arabic. Ashley didn't hear and either way she wouldn't understand a single word out of that sentence. She was too busy throwing away the psychic reader's ideas and replacing them with her own denying ones.

"You know, maybe, that woman who is in front of him... is me? Maybe, you never know, because we're both blonde by the way... although her hair is longer and healthier than mine, not to mention she's just all around prettier than me, but you never know," Ashley try'd explaining, but even she was beginning to self-doubt herself.

The Arabic psychic woman shrugged, "You're wasting your time on people who don't feel the same way about you! Don't say I didn't tell you, but what I do know is that your time is up. That will be 40 dollars," she notified Ashley.

 _ **Minutes later Ashley called Drew and she invited him to Candice's birthday dinner party. Ashley believed that the best way to get into someone's heart, is to force yourself in that little sucker.**_

* * *

 _ **Before Torrie could go out for the party, she first needed to wait for Brock at the same doorway she would always wait when they dated before.**_

Torrie was excited to finally go on her first real date and she was putting on her 'Brock Pearls' for the first time in such a long time. The pearl necklace was a gift from Brock on their first date, it was Torrie's favorite and now that it was 'Brock Season' again, she was all for wearing it again.

"Hello, I remember you, Brock's ex-girlfriend right? He wouldn't shut up about you when he got home from that cocktail party, I'm surprised you two might get back together," The maid confessed as she gracefully invited Torrie into the nice Upper East Side apartment of Brock's.

 _ **Torrie carefully walked in, her last memory of that apartment involved her running out and hailing a cab with a fake headache because of some very real emotions.**_

"So, tell me, how is it different between you and him this time around," The elderly maid asked Torrie.

Torrie wondered the same thing, so it took her a while to search for those right words. "Uh, well, I didn't know I would ever see him again. I did however and I realized that I still have feelings for him! We're also just different, even just 6 short months later, we've managed to somewhat change," Torrie explained to the sweet maid.

The maid gave her a smile, but she had doubts and she wasn't afraid to speak those doubts. "Brock's like a son to me, but even I have to admit that he might waste your time. He's grown and he's lived, but you're still a young girl who still needs to do that," she warned Torrie about.

 _ **Don't attack Torrie, because she isn't afraid to attack back... even if it's not really an attack, she'll attack when she feels attacked.**_

"You don't know me," Torrie quickly jumped in to defend herself. "I know what I'm doing and this is what I want! I'm a grown woman, believe me, I am" Torrie insisted as she walked away to the living room.

The maid shrugged, "You're right, I don't know you, but neither do you. You don't know yourself, you think you do, but you don't... you will, someday," The elderly maid responded, but Torrie walked away before she could even finish.

* * *

 _ **Candice's smoking outfit was ready for the party, but eternally she wasn't.**_

The black simple dress fit perfectly on Candice's 41 year old body, but she wasn't quite feeling it. Her birthday wasn't complete without Brooklyn's creative ways of wishing her a happy birthday.

She felt single and alone, one more year added to those 40 years of her already being alive only made her feel more depressed. Age never scared Candice when she had a husband and a son, but now she was terrified of it and she wished so badly for the clock to stop for her. She couldn't complain too much, Brooklyn at least left her a voicemail earlier and that was enough to keep Candice going for the day.

 _"Mom, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday! 41 years and you're still rocking it! I would love to see you sometime soon, maybe for a lunch. Okay, I've got to go, but see you soon,"_ Brooklyn's voice echoed through her cellphone's voicemail.

 _ **Candice replayed that voicemail over and over again, she would put it next to her beating heart and it would keep her motivated to carry on with this birthday party dinner of her's.**_

Before leaving the penthouse, Candice stopped for a second and she abruptly broke down in tears. Candice's tears visited her again, for the 3rd time in the day.

They surely got the best of her, but she couldn't help it. Candice helplessly sat on the kitchen floor crying out her eyes. For the 3rd time Candice had to go back into the bathroom and re-do her eyeliner, black stains on her cheeks wasn't a good look for a birthday dinner... especially if the birthday dinner was for you and especially if society already expects women to obsess and cry over age.

* * *

 _ **Some women are always up for a little party, but even the most independent women can let men fill them with doubts. And doubts don't fit well with fun, 'risky soaring through the skies without fearing the fall' always goes better with some fun.**_

After about 20 minutes of waiting, Torrie's spirits were beginning to drag down and she was getting the feeling that maybe she should just go on without him. Maybe giving this relationship a second chance isn't really a good idea? Maybe this was a sign?

"Torrie, you look good," Brock said out of nowhere as he rushed down the staircase to her.

Torrie took her hand off the doorknob and turned to him slowly, "About 20 minutes late," Torrie whispered, no longer feeling in any mood for a date or a party of any kind.

 _ **Just like that, Brock ruined the excitement in her young excited heart.**_

Brock heard her alright, so he rushed to her and he grabbed her by the hand. "I know, I'm sorry. I was awake all night and I accidentally fell asleep," Brock explained as he realized that he was treating her as if she were unimportant to him.

Brock pulled her in for a kiss, out of the blue, he just abruptly smacked his lips on her's. Torrie felt the magic and she knew she would have to give this relationship a second chance.

 _ **Torrie chose to leave the doubts behind and she instead wore the 'Risky soaring through the skies without fearing the fall' attitude, paired along with a man she adored so much... that he couldn't even imagine how much she really adored him.**_

* * *

 _ **Everything with Jack has been going great so far, so introducing him to my friends at Candice's fabulous dinner party wasn't nerve wracking at all.**_

"I'm not gonna lie... I have my doubts about you, so you better prove me wrong," Candice warned Jack as the whole table broke out in laughter. However, Candice was dead serious, but she didn't want to intimidate the man she once knew back in the day.

Jack laughed, "Ahh Candice, I missed you, it's good to see you again! Now, where's Stacy and Layla, this is like a mini-reunion," Jack joked about as they all continued laughing at the table. Jack was referring to Michelle's two older friends- Layla moved away in 2001 and Stacy grew apart from the girls by 2004 or so when she got married.

Ashley only ever met Stacy and the stories about the two ladies were always positive ones, but Ashley also heard her fair share of stories about Jack and they weren't good ones. Ashley was skeptical about him, observing his every move.

 _ **I thought I was presenting a 'Superbowl trophy' to my friends, but apparently to them it was just some 'Checkers trophy' and they surely weren't impressed by the looks on their faces.**_

"Mam, anything else we can help with," The male waiter asked Michelle. He was tall, with dark hair and colored eyes. The man was quite handsome and the whole table of single's noticed his good looks, but Michelle didn't... although, Jack sure was paranoid that she might have noticed.

Michelle turned to the birthday girl Candice and Candice nodded. "Yes, more cocktail please, lots of it!" Michelle exclaimed to the restaurant's waiter as they both laughed in sync.

Candice's nods meant 'More drinks please' and Michelle could easily read those little gestures, but she seemed to forget about some of Jack's old 'gestures'... like jealousy shown through an uncomfortable way of him moving around or shown through his eyes slowly squinting with red all over.

However, Candice and Ashley noticed those little things, especially when the male waiter stopped by. Jack seemed bothered and the girls were bothered by him being bothered.

 _ **I know my friends and I can name their favorite cocktail drinks in under a second, but Jack was still a big question mark left for me to guess about. Although I knew him in the past, I believe people change, maybe I'm wrong, but for now it feels right.**_

* * *

 _ **Drew wasn't some question-mark, he was this big exclamation point. He craved attention from women and that got his energy up, he loved playing around and his infatuation for a woman's looks were out in the open. He was a player and he was an insecure man-whore... but he's French so he get's away with it in Ashley's book.**_

Ashley forced Drew to come with her as her plus one to this dinner party and she wasn't going to let him have a bad time. Technically, she also brought along Dolph and his boyfriend, so it was more like a plus 3.

Ashley casually started off by letting him go on and on about his life, she then complimented his 'amazing' life and she also made sure to only tell him everything he liked to hear.

She didn't stop there, Ashley then went the extra mile to even flirtatiously act like he was the only man in the world. Ashley would casually put her hands on his upper body and Drew didn't mind one bit.

 _ **Drew looked at her and he winked, he was nervously sweating, but he winked alright.**_

Everything just got more heated after that, the action was even taken to under the table now. Ashley would softly touch Drew's leg with her foot and Drew was turned on, but Maryse was his 'girl'... he was confused now and he found Ashley looking extra-gorgeous that night. It now became a toss-up between Ashley and Maryse, but right now, Ashley was so winning the race to Drew's heart.

"I'll be right back," Ashley flirtatiously whispered as she walked off to the restroom.

* * *

 _ **Across the table from that little '50 Shades Of Desperateness', I was getting excited too, but for very different reasons... professional reasons.**_

Michelle had party-fun on her mind right now, but that was soon about to change in a quick second. Michelle's phone rang and she thought it was either Torrie calling in late or Ashley calling from the restroom for Drew.

It was odd that her office was calling in on a Saturday afternoon, "Hello, is something wrong," Michelle asked as she walked out of that loud restaurant. Michelle was sure worried that the office would shut her fashion blog down, although it hasn't seen it's peak in a while, it's still been making an excellent amount of profit for the business.

 _"No, not at all! Nothing is wrong, in fact, everything about you is right! At least that's what a fashion designing label team think of you, they called in from London and they saw your blog, they loved your style and they would really like to work with you. I'm calling to tell you that you have to take that offer, if they like your work, you'll get a spot in that designing team,"_ Michelle's boss told her through the phone.

Michelle was speechless, "Oh my god, believe me, I'm taking that offer! This is so insanely exciting, well come on tell me, what's the fashion label? Is it Dior, Prada, Gucci.. what is it," Michelle asked excitedly.

Their was an awkward pause, _"Uh, it's not really a big label... yet! But this can bring so many opportunities for you in the fashion business, so you have to take it,"_ She informed Michelle.

Michelle chuckled and shook her head, "No, I know! I'm grateful and tell them that I will take that offer," Michelle exclaimed as she jumped up and down like a little kid would at a candy store.

 _"That's great to hear, I'm glad you're taking up on this offer! Okay, I'll give you the information later, but talk to you soon, bye,"_ she hung up and Michelle couldn't stop herself from jumping in place. The people walking in and out of that restaurant noticed Michelle's odd excitement, but Michelle could care less. The dark evening skies of New York were blinding, but Michelle could see into her future oh so well and it was looking bright as f*ck for her.

 _ **I was celebrating and I expected everybody else in my life to do so too. If a woman wins, you in a way win too! So don't sour it up for her, because she's unstoppable.**_

Michelle told the news to everybody at the table and everybody erupted to cheer for Michelle. Jack gave her a smile, but he wasn't nearly as excited as the rest. Michelle didn't even notice, she was too busy being excited.

* * *

 _ **Party and business never mix well, but if you're missing one of the two... don't expect to work hard or play hard. Torrie was getting her own dosage of professional news, her deadline for the cover article about 30 year old women was soon up and Torrie still wasn't done... but for tonight, she was all about the party and the love.**_

"This will be fun, I haven't seen your friends in a long time, they probably hate me though," Brock said as he opened the door for Torrie.

Torrie waved to the girls from the entrance of the restaurant, "No they don't hate you, trust me! It's Candice's birthday, so don't bring up family or marriage or children or divorces or age, just don't," Torrie warned him about as they walked over to the very full table.

 _ **Torrie made sure to consider her friends feelings.**_

"Hello," Torrie exclaimed as Brock and her greeted everybody. She walked to Candice and she gave her a big hug, "You look great, happy birthday," Torrie praised Candice, while handing her a present.

Candice smelled the nice perfume coming from the birthday present, while Torrie smelled the heavy alcohol coming from Candice. Torrie let it go, because it was a party and she didn't want to ruin the fun.

Candice turned to her and Brock, "Thank you! Oh hi Brock, you two look in love and it's just such a lovely sight," Candice said to them as she turned away for a ninth cocktail drink.

Torrie was confused, she was expecting a little more fire from Candice. Candice usually used harsh truth to speak her mind, but it was different this time and Torrie was worried. Although, if others saw Brock and her as a couple, maybe them being one again wasn't such a bad idea.

 _ **However, Candice wasn't wrong, Torrie did look in love and she was surely wearing it to the dinner party. Even Brock radiated with some love in him.**_

* * *

 _ **Before Torrie and Brock's appearance, Maryse made an announced appearance at the dinner table. She crashed the party and Ashley doesn't like party-crashers, but technically Drew invited her.**_

Once again, Drew's attention was all on Maryse. Although, Ashley now had an open shot too. Drew had 'a thing' for both of them, but his 'thing' for Maryse was very different than the 'sexual thing' he had for Ashley.

Ashley's friends were on the other far end of the table, Dolph and his boyfriend Johnny had already left earlier, so Ashley at this point was just talking to herself... in her head of course. Ashley's head and her decided that they've had enough, so she went right in and she wasn't letting Maryse make the night about Drew and her, the night was supposed to be about Drew and Ashley, not Maryse.

 _ **It was like High School all over again, except this time she wasn't planning on losing.**_

Ashley began to touch Drew, right in front of Maryse, with no shame. "So, Drew, tell me about that trip you took to Brazil... remember, the story you told me earlier when we were getting even more touchy than now," Ashley said loudly, just to make sure that Maryse could hear her loud and clear. Her hands were all over Drew's chest and she then began to casually place her hands on his arms too.

Maryse followed and did the same, but she took the lower part of his body. Her soft touch was all over Drew's thighs and she pulled off the same move Ashley attempted earlier. Maryse's foot was softly touching Drew's leg and Drew was surely turned on by both now. They each flirtatiously touched one half of Drew's body and Drew couldn't believe it.

 _ **Drew's body was like New York City, they each wanted a nice little apartment, but they were bound to clash over it.**_

Eventually, their hands met. Ashley went to place her hand on his thigh too, but Maryse already took that spot.

Maryse grabbed Ashley's hand without hesitation and she threw it forward, leaving Drew's thighs all for herself. Ashley gasped and she slapped Maryse's hand back, except she missed. Instead, Ashley gave a good smack to Drew's manhood and Drew was in much pain.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Ashley apologized to Drew immediately as Drew backed up holding his crotch in pain.

Maryse turned to Ashley, "You should watch out next time," Maryse barked out at Ashley.

 _ **It was messy in every way, but what can you expect from a love triangle. Ashley didn't notice it, but she was stuck in a stupid cliche love triangle.**_

Soon enough, their feet met under the table too. Ashley kicked first this time and Maryse jumped up in surprisement. Which lead to Maryse accidentally kneeing the whole table up in a shaking motion, the whole table turned to look at Maryse and Ashley.

"You know what, I'm gonna go! This is obviously causing a scene for everybody, some people just have to be childish," Maryse said as she dismissed herself.

Ashley shrugged to the whole table and they all finally looked away, Maryse walked away and Drew joined her. "I have to go too, but call me Ashley, later, not now," Drew told Ashley as he walked away with Maryse.

Ashley sighed as she rested her head on her arms.

 _ **It was no party for Ashley, she felt like a loser, who happened to also not have a man.**_

* * *

 _ **To some women a celebration can only exist if a man is around. Without a man, their is really nothing to celebrate about? At least that's the way those dependent women think.**_

Brock and Torrie spent the entire dinner party talking to each other. They talked about everything and while Brock seemed to always go on & on about his job, Torrie never brought up her's. She always left the topic under the rug, it was a habit of her's to be a certain way during dates- That included her not talking about her occupation or anything else that might go against men.

"I love your pearl necklace by the way," Brock said with a knowing wink.

 _ **A compliment followed by a flirtatious move from a man, that was it. It's fun a couple of times, but it get's repetitive... Torrie liked it though and to her it was everything. Brock however didn't see Torrie as being 'everything' to him, Torrie of course couldn't realize that and Brock unconsciously didn't realize that either.**_

Torrie smiled, "Yeah, well, some special guy gave it to me a while ago," Torrie teased him as she gave him a knowing wink too.

The lovey-dovey talk ended then and there, "I have to go, I have a meeting early in the morning. I'll see you later, it was a great date by the way," Brock abruptly told Torrie as he grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Torrie didn't even have time to say goodbye, she was supposed to be in charge of that date, at least that's what she remembers saying. He walked away so carelessly, with a little love in him, but no where near as noticeable as the light of love Torrie had in her.

She watched as he walked off, he didn't even offer to take her home. Either way, Torrie wasn't planning on going anywhere. It was her friend's birthday dinner and she'd much rather stay by them that night.

 _ **Torrie wasn't a wild party girl, but she was wild in the field of love. Another round with Brock was still what she wanted, it was risky, but she would take the fall.**_

* * *

 _ **Other women weren't phased when a man did walk away- More Freedom, More Fun. I was one of those women, I need a man, but I need myself more.**_

Jack was feeling energetic at the beginning, but Michelle's higher energy was just draining his out. Michelle was talking to Torrie and Ashley, when Jack decided that he was feeling inferior and he seemed to be wanting the attention on him at most times.

"I have to go, I'm just too tired... but tell me how the night goes," Jack said as he got up from his chair.

Michelle's eyebrows went way up, she was confused and she smelled suspicion. "Uh, excuse me! What are you doing, you just abruptly get up to leave, is something bothering you," Michelle asked him as she put her hands around his neck.

"It's nothing, but you can come home with me... come on, it's pretty late anyway. We can just leave, your little friends will be fine, right," Jack insisted as he grabbed Michelle by the arm to take her home.

 _ **I wanted to go with him, but my friends were more important to me. My desire to stay with my friends was much bigger than the desire I had of leaving with him.**_

"I'm sorry, but I'm staying. Everybody at the table left, it's literally just us 4 girls now, that's a horrible way to end a birthday and my friend is going through a lot," Michelle explained to Jack as she looked back at the almost empty table.

Jack softly touched her head, "It's fine, just go on... but call me later," Jack said as he walked out of the restaurant.

* * *

"Where did everybody go, I'm so confused right now," Candice said loudly. Although Candice didn't mean to speak that loudly, the alcohol was just getting to her and it made everything escalate for her.

Michelle helped Candice to the table, "They're all gone, I'm sorry sweetie," Michelle said, not nearly as drunk as Candice.

 _ **All it took to ruin the potential the night still had was a 40 year old man who was trapped in a marriage with kids and want to just take that frustration out on the rest.**_

"Hey, you should keep it down... you f*cking drunk mess," The man at the next table said to Candice. He was drunk too, probably more drunk, but he was a man so he got an 'excuse pass' because of it.

Candice gasped and even drunk, she still recognized that familiar voice. "Why don't you shut the hell up and mind your own business," Candice snapped at him. Candice couldn't get over the familiar voice, it was haunting, so she wasn't going to turn around and look at him in the face.

"You're like 40, go home to your f*cking kids," He yelled at her again.

Candice had enough of it, "Yes, I am f*cking 41... so are you! Jeremy, you have like 4 kids and your wife is waiting for you, so if anybody should be going home here it's you," Candice yelled at him.

 _ **The familiar voice happened to be a friend of Wade, Candice's ex-husband. Him and his wife were very close with Candice, but they shunned her once the divorce happened and they sided with Wade.**_

Drunk Jeremy laughed too hard. Seeing Candice look miserable was a prize on it's own. "No way, Candice f*cking Beckham... oh wait, he divorced your ass! You're a bitch and we all know it Candice, that's why he left you," Jeremy told her, laughing right in her face.

 _ **Candice didn't know what to say, that was her breaking point and she wouldn't cross it... her friends would though.**_

The girls all try'd staying out of it, mostly because they knew Candice could take him on on her own. Once she sat down however and once they realized Jeremy was a friend of Wade's, they were about to give him a good smack-down.

Michelle stood up first, "Oh no, don't even go there buddy," Michelle yelled as she pointed her finger in his face. "Quite frankly, if anybody is being a bitch here... it's you dude," Michelle fired at him.

The man just wouldn't stop, but the women had just begun. "What are you gonna do, you're all pathetic and I pity your poor lives! 40 and still getting hammered like some hookers," Jeremy told them as he drank and drank, while laughing.

Ashley immediately followed and stood up too, "Uh, what excuse do you have! You're married, we're not, we're still having fun and you are ruining that for us you asshole," Ashley yelled, ironically with a cocktail in her hand.

 _ **We fought the war, but we didn't win. It was more of a draw play, but we sure walked out of there with our prides still up.**_

"Come on let's go," Torrie said as she got her things. She helped Candice up and Candice was desperately holding back the tears, but more than anything she was also trying to hold back the anger.

Ashley and Michelle followed Torrie and Candice, "You know what, she's right, not worth our time, so let's go," Ashley told Michelle as they all walked out.

Before getting to the door, Candice stopped. She turned around and she just had to have the last word, "Oh and by the way, It's Candice f*cking Michelle and I divorced his ass, don't get it wrong sucker," She exclaimed fabulously as she walked out of that dead place for a much more alive place.

 _ **Now we won the war! A soldier sometimes get's injured... but once the injured soldier returns, it can make a hell of comeback. So watch out for wonder woman disguised in a Dior dress and some Louis Vuitton stilettos, who also happened to be 41 and a divorced single mother too.**_

* * *

 _ **The party could've ended there, but it wasn't going to, not on my watch. My timeless watch that is, meaning the night, like us, was still very young and open for any type of wildness.**_

The girls were on their way home, but they all knew they couldn't just leave the night like that. "There's a club down the street and they have no alcohol! So we can go, have fun, without any alcohol... because I'm pretty sure we're all wasted as this point," Michelle said as they all walked with their arms linked to one another.

Ashley turned to Torrie, "Torrie isn't, she's such a middle aged mother... but I'm kind of jealous, I feel like crap and she's all classy-like... still, even after spending so much time with us," Ashley jokingly teased as they continued walking.

"Oh please, we're all screwed up... but we're screwed up together," Torrie said as they all laughed in the dark night streets of New York.

"Not for tonight though, let's just f*cking forget about everything else and just celebrate us," Michelle stopped and she pointed to the building across, "It's that one! They're might be a lot of young guys, but it'll be fun," Michelle reassured them as they all had fizzy soda-drinks on their minds.

"I just want to dance the drunkenness off," Candice exclaimed as they all approached the entrance to the raving club.

 _ **It was our time, to just celebrate us!**_

After about 20 minutes, the girls were already fitting in. They were dancing, they were flirting innocently and they were enjoying themselves.

Michelle found a cute youngster to talk to, although nothing happened, she felt free and she didn't worry about Jack.

Torrie did the same thing, accept she danced and she didn't mind just letting go for the night. She had Brock in her heart, but it was silly fun spending time with those two young gay men she met that night.

Ashley and Candice owned the dance-floor that night, they both danced together and boys weren't welcome. "Did you know they have cocktails without alcohol, I'm like in love right now," Candice exclaimed to Ashley as she drank her non-alcoholic drink on that addicting dance-floor. "Forty-One and still living!"

 _ **Guys are great for parties, but girls simply do it better. They celebrate your ups and your downs and it's always a party with my 3 girls. After all, I have a lot to celebrate about and so do my friends, therefore we always need somebody to listen at both our sad times and at our happy accomplishing times... that's why till this day, my most longest relationship of them all is the one I've had for the past decade and plus with my 3 gals that know how to celebrate a moment in this crazy life of ours.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Brock Lesnar, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, and Maryse Ouellet.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On October 2, 2015.**


	6. A Woman's Business

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 6: A Woman's Business**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **My career was at it's peak, I was going places and I was loving it. Nothing could stop me, except for the fear and anxiety I had of sitting across from the PR of the fashion designing company.**_

"You will be flown out to London in a week or two, if the designing team likes your work... then you'll be part of that team, which is exciting, right," The PR woman told Michelle as she gave her a sheet with more information on it.

Michelle felt jumpy, "Of course it is," Michelle exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air. The PR woman simply stared at her, with no emotion on her face.

The PR woman stopped Michelle with her finger, her phone was ringing and an important woman like her couldn't risk not picking up the phone.

"Okay, this is them! Let me just go talk to them, I'll be right back" She whispered to Michelle, walking out of the office in a rush.

 _ **I felt relieved that after all these cold years on the road I was finally going somewhere bigger than what I had imagined.**_

The PR woman walked back into the room, her aura was sharper than her perfectly-tailored blazer and that scared Michelle.

"They want to see you do your thing right away, so they want to fly you over there within this week! Just sign this contract and we'll be set to go," The PR woman demanded, handing Michelle the polished contract.

Michelle stared at the contract for a second, she signed away and all of her fears went out the window too.

* * *

 _ **Torrie got her own call of business, it was from the love department and Brock was expecting her for some serious case. Breakfast, the case was breakfast and only breakfast.**_

Torrie got herself dressed up, casually but still adding a touch of glamour even in the morning hours. She wanted to always keep her boyfriend on his toes, yes, the two were back in a relationship and they were ready for a second round.

Torrie was located over by the Lower East Side, while Brock was located all the way on the Upper East Side... so getting there took a fairly long time, but Torrie made it regardless. It was fall and she enjoyed looking at New York's natural offerings during this time, so the commute wasn't too much of a big deal for her.

"I'm glad you made it, here come in," Brock said as he pulled her in for a kiss. He then grabbed Torrie by the arm and he took her out to his beautiful patio. Autumn's leaves were gorgeously set around the floor everywhere, it made for a signature Manhattan pretty picture. The bushes were colorfully wild and the view of Manhattan spoke in it's own words, everything was set and Torrie was patiently waiting for that magical day with her boyfriend.

 _ **The ground for the perfect movie was set, but it never quite took off.**_

The second Torrie saw the breakfast come out, she knew that she would get to spend a whole day with him and that was something she wouldn't mind at all. Ever since getting back together, it seemed like no memorable date had happened yet, but this was that memorable moment that Torrie was waiting for.

"Isn't this lovely, just the two of us... well, technically us and half of Manhattan," Brock said jokingly as he took a sip of his orange juice.

Torrie nodded happily, she looked out and she felt like the luckiest girl alive.

 _ **It was all nice and short, but it finally came to an end and Torrie didn't know what to do.**_

Brock wiped his mouth and he got up, "Look, I have to go, but stay. I have a meeting and it's very important that I'm there on time," Brock told Torrie as he began to put his suit-tie on.

Torrie got up too, "I'll leave, it's fine. It was a lovely date, short, but lovely," Torrie said as she put her charcoal coat on.

As Torrie walked away, she felt the love and it was an appreciative moment for her... but now it ended and Torrie didn't know what to do with the rest of her day. The department of love was doing just fine, but everything else was just all over the place for her.

* * *

 _ **Competition in the female world is always there, men love to pit up women against each other all the time. Standing on one side of Central Park was Ashley, her opponent all the way from Canada, was Maryse... let the match begin.**_

"What the hell is she doing here? Drew, I invited you, I never said bring a plus one," Ashley said to Drew, dragging her feet on the floor as she gave Maryse the cold dead shark eyes.

Maryse leaned in on Drew, she looked away and she rolled her eyes as she grunted. Ashley rolled her eyes too, she sat down on the bench and she could smell Maryse's perfume on Drew.

"No more fighting ladies, come on, let's all just talk," Drew begged from the two of them as he put his hand on each of their thighs.

Ashley felt a tingling, so did Maryse. Maryse jumped right in and she took advantage of the heated moment, soon Drew and Maryse were having a whole conversation in French. Ashley couldn't understand a word, but she knew that their conversation had depth.

The conversations Ashley had with Drew never really were insightful and Ashley could tell that Drew preferred sharing a good old talk with Maryse instead. So Ashley sat back and let the two talk on and on, she was the awkward third-wheel on the date she planned. Who else could say that? Ashley might even be the third-wheel at her own wedding, who knows?

Maryse lovingly looked into Drew's summer eyes, while Ashley helplessly looked out at the falling leaves and freezing cold lake across from her.

 _ **Due to a forfeit from Ashley's side, the first round went to Maryse.**_

* * *

 _ **Later at brunch with Candice, I was ready to tell her and the rest of the world about my exciting news. That's how a confident woman's business works, we all listen and we all care, it's like a network between our supportive hearts and alike minds.**_

"I can't believe it, because of me my whole musical is falling apart. The ticket sales are going down and the reviews are getting nastier by the second, what a shame," Candice told Michelle as she drank her strong black coffee.

Michelle nodded, she couldn't possibly tell Candice about her big news. Not now, it wouldn't be appropriate.

Candice looked so helpless and tired, "What a shame, because after all the hard work I put into this, I was the one who ruined all of that. Me on my own, I can't blame anyone else," Candice continued saying.

Michelle felt bad, so she simply carried on and telling her the big news could wait for another time. "Well, I think you were doing great... but you fell, that doesn't mean you won't get back up eventually," Michelle told Candice, trying to lift her up.

 _ **Support is key, a business can't grow without support.**_

Candice saw the look on Michelle's eyes, something was up. Candice has known Michelle for about 16 years now and she knows Michelle more than Oprah knows Gayle.

"Bullshit, you are hiding something! What's going on with you, come on tell me," she said.

Michelle shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about," Michelle responded as she turned her head away.

Candice couldn't just brush this off, "Michelle, I know you and I know that your'e hiding something from me. Please tell me, because I tell you everything all the time," Candice reminded Michelle.

"Okay, I had a meeting earlier with the PR of the fashion label 'JAN's Magic' and they want to fly me over to London to test me out. If they like me, they'll hire me," Michelle finally gave in.

Candice was confused, "Okay... but who died, who cheated," Candice teasingly asked. "Why didn't you want to tell me that, that's great news! I am stoked for you," Candice reassured Michelle. "Just because my career is going downhill right now, doesn't mean that I don't want to hear about your career going uphill. I am happy for you, regardless," Candice added in as she gave Michelle a sure smile.

 _ **If a friend supports you when they're falling apart, then that's when you know that you have a true friend for life.**_

* * *

 _ **The business of friendship isn't always sweet & simple, especially if the friendship is between a heterosexual woman and a heterosexual man.**_

Torrie was walking around her apartment with nothing to do. She finally decided to go visit an old friend, so Torrie went over to Punk's place, hoping he would give her some friendly company.

Punk ran to the door after hearing a knock, "Torrie, what a surprise? How are you, haven't seen you in a while," Punk said as he awkwardly stood in front of his apartment door. Torrie noticed his uneasy behavior, but either way, she insisted on staying.

Punk slowly opened the door for Torrie, she walked in and she could sense something. The two sat down and Torrie went on and on about her problems, but Punk didn't seem to be paying too much attention.

Torrie turned to him, "Are you even listening," Torrie asked him. Punk quickly nodded, "Yeah, I am! I think he needs to know that you have a life too," Punk replied, trying to help Torrie out.

She smiled and that was all she needed from him, "Thank you, you're right," Torrie said. It was a good 15 minutes of conversation, but she couldn't stay, mostly because she could tell that he didn't want her to stay.

 _ **Punk was enjoying his own little business, one that involved staying in bed with a woman. Torrie didn't know of course, that was never her type of business.**_

Out of nowhere, a half-naked woman walked out of Punk's bedroom, with nothing but his over-sized t-shirt on.

The confused woman stopped and stared at them for a second, "I'm not f*cking doing a three-way," The tall blonde woman said, with her face all tired up. Torrie gasped and she turned to Punk, "No, I'm just his friend. I didn't know he had company, I better go, but have a nice day you two," Torrie said, quickly walking out of there.

Punk shrugged to the tall woman and then turned to Torrie, "Bye Torrie, sorry about that," Punk apologized as he shut the door. "Is a three-way that bad," Punk asked the woman.

The woman rolled her eyes, "Uh, no! I know plenty of hot men we can call over, if you really want some trio-fun," She said to Punk.

Punk froze, "Okay, never mind," Punk said as the two went back to bed.

 _ **Business rarely goes well when it's shared between 3 people, it's simply best to keep it between two people and two people only.**_

* * *

 _ **They say show-business is the most fun, but Candice was having no fun. She went over to the theatre for rehearsals, but little did she know that they were cancelled due to low ticket-sales leading to budget cuts from the production.**_

"Hello! Is anybody here," Candice yelled into the nothing. She continued walking around, but she finally came across a flyer with bold leaders telling her that rehearsals were cancelled.

Candice looked around, she could go back home or she could stay. Candice sat on the cold stage floor, she took out her laptop and she curiously scrolled through the long list of bad reviews. Her musical had potential and it was loved, but over-night it all seemed to turn on her like cold ice.

Candice was mentally and physically exhausted at this point, so she rested back on the black stage floor and she cried. She cried and she didn't try to stop herself, the tears were all coming out and she just had to let them escape from her empty self.

The tears strolled down and they disappeared into the dark. Candice would sniffle, but nobody heard in that giant theatre building.

Everything seemed to be a mess in Candice's life, but she was too tired to even think about the musical or the child custody she was battling in court. Everything gave her headaches and she was quite frankly over it all.

* * *

 _ **Business and relationships never mix well, which is why I've never mixed the two like a little cocktail. However, having a supportive partner in your life is a necessity and if your partner isn't supportive, you better start looking for a new one. You can't win in life, when a man is an anchor holding you down.**_

"I'm going to London!" she would continuously exclaim to Jack, already day-dreaming about that opportunity in that head of her's.

Jack nodded, but he stayed quite. He simply stared at the cabs that would pass by Michelle's apartment.  
Michelle didn't question his silence, so she continued with her head in the clouds.

"I don't think I'll have to move, but London, that should be great, I've never been," Michelle again excitedly exclaimed, trying to spark a conversation with her quite boyfriend.

 _ **It wasn't a competition, but Jack was sure making it a competition.**_

Jack finally talked, "Yeah, fun!" Jack responded sarcastically.

Michelle didn't like the sound of that, "Fun? Yeah, but also very beneficial and a dream come true practically," Michelle added in.

Jack shrugged, "I guess so, but if you have to leave your life for that job? Then maybe, it's time you start questioning that," Jack said back to her.

"I wouldn't have to leave my life! My life's isn't going anywhere and that's the problem, my life will slip out of my hands if I don't take this offer. I've built up my life in this city to have a moment like this, you don't understand the significance of this," Michelle explained to him, letting go of his hand.

Jack shrugged again and got up from the staircase, "Well, I just don't think it's that big of a deal," Jack admitted to her.

 _ **I can deal with many imperfections, after all, I am imperfect too. However, I can't deal with a man's ego, it's simply something a man can never quite cage away.**_

Michelle rolled her eyes, "Obviously it's not the job, it's your ego! That's the problem and I don't need that! I am not the same 20 year old helpless girl that you found years ago, I am a thirty-five year old woman who has been on a long journey of up's and down's, but this, Oh I'm so not even getting on that 'ego ride'! I thought this could work, but I can't have an supportive boyfriend, I just can't," Michelle cried out to him as she turned around to open her apartment door.

Michelle didn't want to hear one more word out of him, she left him once and it was not a hard thing for her to do again. Except this time, she actually had somewhere to go and she was very much looking forward to that.

"So you're leaving me? How great, just like everybody else, you're leaving me too," Jack said as he ran down the apartment staircase.

Michelle couldn't help but to feel guilty, everything he just said reminded her of her own life. However, Michelle wasn't responsible for him and she couldn't stay behind, she shall continue to march straight ahead.

"Jack, I just can't be with you. I thought I could give this a second try after all these long years, but this Ferris-wheel is just making me go insane," Michelle yelled to him one last time. Michelle shivered- Maybe it was the breezy winds of October, maybe it was the overwhelming feeling of starting a new phase in her life, or maybe it was the rush she got from Jack.

Jack helplessly watched as the best woman he ever shared company with all drifted away from him again, he messed it up and already he was beginning to regret it.

 _ **I chose my career over my boyfriend and in no hell way was I regretting it.**_

* * *

 _ **The 2nd round of Ashley's match against Maryse was up in the air, the two were going head to head on this one... all for the attention of Drew.**_

Ashley wrapped her arm around Drew's shoulders and she purposely started whispering her stories into his ear, it was flirtatious and it sure made Drew fantasize.

Maryse, on the other side of Drew, rolled her eyes and pulled his head away from Ashley. "Drew, let me try to say a couple of sentences in French and you tell me if they're right," Maryse told him, trying to change the subject.

Before Maryse could speak in French, Ashley pulled his head away with her American tough hands. "Ouch, Ashley! My neck," Drew cried out as he held onto his neck.

Maryse gasped and pushed Ashley's arm away, "You gave him a neck spasm, way to go," Maryse yelled at her.

"Oh my god, Drew, I'm so sorry," Ashley said as she tried to massage his neck with the softest touch she could possibly come up with.

Maryse pushed her hands off and she instead gave him the massage, "Just leave! It's obvious that you're always the third wheel around us," Maryse told her as she carefully massaged Drew's neck.

Ashley was ready to leave, but Maryse just had to give her one last kick. Ashley fell to the grassy floor and an unexpected fart came out of her.

"OH MY GOD," Ashley said to herself, mortified and petrified with what just came out of her.

 _ **Maryse was sure playing dirty, but Drew viewed Ashley as the dirty one. Now, he literally saw her as dirty.**_

Ashley gasped and although she wanted to defend her pride, Drew's face said it all. He obviously preferred Maryse and in no way did the fart help.

Ashley picked grass out of her hair and she casually tried smelling for any leftover embarrassment. Maryse had her hand on her nose and mouth, with a mortified look on her face. Drew on the other hand, was laughing like crazy. Ashley was embarrassed, but she knew she had to let go, before anything else could go wrong.

"You two have a good life," Ashley told the two as she walked away with her pride still up her butt.

 _ **The two did have a good life apparently, weeks later they were engaged. They got married months later in a French style wedding, moved to Georgia and apparently are even expecting a kid too. Ashley knew all of this because she accidentally forgot to un-friend them on her social media accounts.**_

For now, Ashley simply enjoyed a warm soft large pretzel in the middle of Central Park. The rain began to pour down, it was the last thing she needed, but it was a nice way to shower away all of the humiliating regrets she had in and out of her.

* * *

 _ **Candice was just about to befriend a person she never would expect herself to befriend. He was younger and he was a cast member of her musical, but she couldn't reject the comfort that she so needed in that very moment.**_

Candice couldn't stop herself from crying and she couldn't stop herself from obsessing over the bad reviews or the child custody she was battling, eventually her biggest nightmare came in and it turned out to be a pretty sweet dream.

"What's the matter," The young actor asked as he made his way from behind the back curtains.

Candice closed her eyes and turned around from him, "Oh god, please just leave," Candice begged with her shaky voice.

The young actor/dancer didn't leave, he instead sat right next to her. "Tell me, what's wrong," He softly uttered to Candice.

 _ **His name was Cody Rhodes and he was 24, he secretly had a crush on Candice and he knew that this was the moment to finally get to her.**_

Candice kept quite for a while, but she finally spoke. "I can't believe I'm telling you this, but my life is falling apart! I am falling apart, everything is just being torn away from me," Candice admitted as she wiped the tears away.

Cody put his arm around her and he steadily brought her body closer to his. "Talk to me, their's more, I know it. Come on, tell me all of it, I have time to listen," Cody insisted.

Candice stared at him, she didn't know if telling him about her troubles was such a good idea.

 _ **He's a young guy, what does he know? But she told him anyway and he listened, for a 20 year old guy, he sure knew how to care and he gave great advice too.**_

The two sat there in the dark, they talked for almost one whole hour. Eventually Candice left, but she left feeling 'weird'. She had feelings and she didn't know what to do with them, she was married for about 15 years with the same man and she was clueless on what to do now.

* * *

 _ **That day, Torrie was inspired by her successful business boyfriend to take care of her own business. Her deadline date for her article 'Women in their 30's, Who are still trying to live' was due for the next Elle issue of November, but Torrie needed more time. For the first time she was going straight to that office to demand that the deadline date be moved.**_

Torrie ran through the rain, with her umbrella high in the air and with her hopes for this article very high up to.

She nervously walked to the office, where the scary editor-in-chief of _Elle_ sat.

"I can't turn this in, I'm sorry, but I'm a writer and I care about my work... And I know that this isn't everything I want out and published," Torrie cried out as she handed in what she had written so far.

The editor-in-chief looked over the writing for half a second, she looked up at Torrie and she saw the potential in this scared young girl's eyes. "Fine then, but it better be ready for the December issue," she claimed as she handed Torrie her hopes back.

Torrie smiled, "Thank you, thank you so much! You know what, I better get working right this second," Torrie promised.

"Don't worry too much! You worry too much, you need to stop," The respected professional woman said, as she watched Torrie walk out of that place.

 _ **Torrie was shocked and motivated, expect more out of this writer. She's out there and she's ready to conquer without holding back anymore.**_

The rain was falling heavily down on the streets of New York, but Torrie's spirits remained high above in a rainbow ready to appear out of nowhere.

A few minutes later while walking to the subway, Torrie got a text message from Punk. _"Torrie I'm sorry about today, but don't worry about it, you'll be fine,"_ the text-message read.

Torrie smiled and shook her head, _"Oh trust me, I've heard that one before... but a woman gave it to me better,"_ Torrie typed up for Punk as she fabulously jumped over a giant puddle in the middle of the street.

 _ **A woman's business simply works better with two women. Lesbians out there, you are doing it very right and you have figured it out.**_

* * *

 _ **I was getting ready to go out on my own little business trip, with no chance of any dark clouds stopping my plane.**_

"Girls get ready, we're going to London," Michelle said to her favorite clothing pieces as she threw them in a suitcase. She of course only picked the ones that most reminded her of London, 'London Chic' that is.

She was ready to go and her friends all called her. One by one, they all called to congratulate her and they all made Michelle promise them that she would bring them back something from London.

 ** _No souvenirs_** _ **from London were going to be coming back, instead a new woman from London was set to sail back to the Big Apple.**_

Eventually, Michelle got her phone out and she accidentally came across some pictures of her and Jack. He was cute and boy did she have a thing for him, but she also had a thing for herself... but Jack didn't have a thing for her having a thing for herself. Complex and pointless, just like men, Michelle thought.

"Ahh, stupid boy. I so want you, but oh honey, I want London more," Michelle whispered as she continued packing.

 _ **Who are you living your life for? I know that I am living for myself and I know that I am a grown woman who is going on her own path. London here I come!**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Maryse Ouellet, CM Punk, Jack Swagger, and Cody Rhodes.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On October 9, 2015.**


	7. A Girl In A New City

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 7: A Girl In A New City**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **London, London, where are you? London, London, I'm in you... But Jack oh Jack, is inside me too. I didn't invite him, but he came along with me in a form other than physical.**_

Before leaving for her meeting at the ' _JAN'S Fashion'_ headquarters, Michelle got an unexpected voicemail from her ex-boyfriend.

A loud gulp came from the phone's speaker before any words could make themselves out. _"Michelle, it's late over here in New York, but I haven't been getting sleep and it's all my fault. I'm calling to apologize, I was being stupid and I just want you to know that I'm happy for you and I'm rooting for you! I'll be waiting for you, if not as a boyfriend, then as a friend... I'm a clingy bastard, so please let me back into your life... well goodbye and good luck,"_ Jack's sleepy grainy sexy voice said.

 _ **Just when I thought this trip was for one, it was now becoming a trip for two.**_

Michelle turned off the phone and she threw it across the bed. She lied there, with her hands on her face. "F*ck, I think I still love him... and f*ck I just said love!"

She didn't have time for this, so she got her scarf and her umbrella and out the door she went. It was difficult for her to just shake him out of her mind like that. Although, London's heavy rainfall was somewhat helping.

 _ **I guess a heartbroken girl could never really forget her ex-lover, no matter how new or far the city is away from him.**_

* * *

 _ **An insecure girl could always forget her wrongdoers, as long as she can build herself up. Ashley was one of those insecure girls and she wasn't going to just sit around, so she purchased a gym membership and she was going to build herself up, literally.**_

Drew caused Ashley to feel like crap, while Ashley caused Drew to gain lots of confidence... even leading to him getting married.

She wasn't going to play that game anymore, Ashley knew to stay away from the men at the gym... no matter how tempting.

While working on her glutes, Ashley spotted a very hot man from the corner of her eye. He seemed to be very focused on himself, so he was either gay or very serious about his physique. Ashley was left to wonder, but she instead turned around and left that area.

"Not today mister, not today," Ashley whispered as she continued her workout on the other far end side of the gym. The gym was like a new city for Ashley- The bodybuilders were intimidating and the thin toned women around her were melting Ashley away, but she stuck by regardless.

* * *

 _ **Candice was ready to get her working on too, but her musical's train had already left her days ago. The musical was just getting worse, but Candice's mental state was getting even more worse.**_

"Candice, can I talk to you privately," The producer said as he grabbed Candice by the arm to pull her to the quite corner of the theatre stage.

Candice wasn't sure what it was, but she knew it was serious. "Look, we think it would be best for you and this musical of your's if... well, if you stepped down from the leading role," The producer finally blurted out to her.

Candice gasped, she try'd comprehending, but it was too painful to hear. "Okay, I've been through things and yes I have been a mess lately... but come on, I can get better, don't give up on me just like that," Candice begged.

The producer felt bad, he was put in an uncomfortable situation. "Candice, the ticket sales are going downhill and the quality of the musical is too. We're not firing you, we're just replacing you with your understudy. You'll still have a part in the musical, working behind the scenes and what not," The producer try'd explaining to Candice.

Candice chuckled sarcastically, "So, essentially, you're basically firing me. Okay, well, I get it... I'm sure little Jessica will do good with my part," Candice said sarcastically.

"Actually, Jessica dropped out, she felt that being cast in this 'train-wreck' would ruin her name in the Broadway business. So Becky will be playing your part instead, Becky Lynch that is," The producer informed Candice on.

 _ **Replacing a 'girl' with a 'woman' is rarely ever a good idea in the female world, but Candice had to admit that it truly was the best thing for business... she just wasn't happy about it.**_

"Fine then, well tell her I said 'good luck'. Really, I mean it, I'd like to see her pull one ounce of the weight I carried," Candice let him know as she put her sunglasses on.

Candice wasn't done, "Oh and, if this shit goes down the toilet, don't come crawling back to me... I'll only handle the backstage business from now on, anything that happens on stage is not my problem any more," She finally finished off, dashing off from the stage that crushed her.

* * *

 _ **5 hours ahead of New York City's time, I was still thinking about the 2 weeks behind of time ex-boyfriend.**_

"What is that," The woman with the chic glasses said to Michelle as she went over the sketch Michelle had drawn.

Michelle shook her head and laughed, "Sorry, I can do better. That was a warm up, you know, to release the bad stuff so that the good stuff can then come to me," Michelle explained to the British woman.

The fashion Creative Director was not impressed, "Michelle, we need you to always put your effort in first," she said as she drank from her cup of strong coffee.

Michelle nodded and got right to working, she knew what it was that she wanted to put down on paper. She had envisioned the outfit pieces and everything, but she just couldn't draw or explain them out. Jack was causing her mind to have a small malfunction and Michelle didn't like that.

 _ **The fashion wasn't strong enough to keep the man out of my mind. Fashion is like a numbing drug for me, but it wasn't working, not today in this city at least.**_

Outside the office windows, Michelle caught a view of the gorgeous grey clouds of London. It was surreal for her to be sitting in that fancy office, working on fashion pieces with other fellow fashionistas... but for some reason, a man she broke up with weeks ago still seemed to stick on top of everything else.

 _ **He was like a sticky-note on top of a stack of papers.**_

* * *

 _ **Back in New York, Torrie wasn't afraid to admit that Brock was the one who was on top of everything else in that mind of her's.**_

Ever since the two re-kindled their 'romance', Torrie has been waiting and waiting for that magical date the two haven't had ever since getting back together.

Finally, Brock had free time and Torrie was sure going to take advantage of that. "Brock, I was thinking, who cares about all of those dating rules. Since you've seemed to be so busy lately, I wanted to set up this date for us tonight! What do you think," Torrie waited as Brock try'd to search for the words to say 'no'.

" _Sorry, I can't. I'm having a small dinner... with an old friend, my ex-wife actually. But tomorrow is actually a free day for me too. I'll set up the date, because I won't let you break the sacred dating rules,"_ Brock said as he gave her a laugh through the phone.

 _ **Brock seemed to be pushing Torrie into a completely separate new world, not even a city was far enough for Brock to push her over to. It's like she was just a shadow to him, but to Torrie, Brock was a full flesh man who right now was hurting her unintentionally.**_

Torrie stayed quite, "Okay, I have to go, bye," Torrie hung up the phone and she felt unimportant, confused too. 'Ex-wife'? Who has dinner with their 'ex-wife', no sane person has dinner with their ex Torrie thought. Brock soon drifted away from her mind, now all Torrie could think about was that 'ex-wife'.

* * *

 _ **Although I was the one who was currently in London, across the sea in New York City, Ashley seemed to be the Spice Girl over there and boy was it getting spicy.**_

Ashley ran into the same hot guy again, but it would be silly of her to move again because of him. She couldn't avoid him, so she simply enjoyed the sighting while she carried on with her workout.

Her eyes couldn't look away, Ashley kept her wandering eyes on his butt. "Nice ass, holy sh*t," Ashley whispered as she continued to stare along. Eventually he caught her staring, but Ashley wasn't ashamed, not even one bit.

He didn't say anything and he didn't seem to mind either, but he gave her a knowing smirk and the tension was on.

The tall man poured some water on his head and the water droplets dripped down his tattooed pecs. He put his hands on those pecs of his and he began to erotically rub his hands on them, all while making eye-contact with Ashley.

His body was tempting, but Ashley couldn't go there. Plus, it was getting awkward, so Ashley turned her body around and she instead looked at the reflection of him on the glass window in front of her.

 _ **Ashley didn't want to be 'Scary Spice', so she eventually turned around to face the other direction. But she couldn't change lanes and now she had this tall dark man on her mind, the dirty thoughts were like speeding cars flowing around her and they were making her sweaty.**_

The man knew Ashley still wanted to see a show, so he walked to face her again and he stood right in front of her. He waved to Ashley and then he casually started rubbing his hands on his six-pack. Ashley thought it was 'abtistic', so did he apparently.

Ashley waved back, she knew she wanted him and she knew that he knew that she wanted him. It was all an innocent little game, harmless and sexy... no problem there she thought. A little confidence-booster she thought.

* * *

 _ **Candice about now needed her own confidence-booster too, especially now that she was being replaced with a much younger actress for the leading role of her own musical. People were rushing, but Candice was falling behind and she was secretly wishing for somebody to stop for her.**_

"Crap, I brought my sunglasses, but I didn't bring a coat, really," Candice grunted to herself as she opened the doors to walk out into the cold world.

A hand brushed on Candice's cold shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll give you my coat... if you walk home with me. I hate being alone on rainy days," Cody told her as he began to take off his coat for her.

Candice took it without hesitation, "Okay, thank you, but what are you doing? Rehearsals aren't over yet, I'm leaving because I have no part in being here... literally," Candice said as she put the coat on. It was cold, so she wasn't going to give that warm coat back... even if belonged to a very much younger man.

 _ **Candice knew that alcohol and tears were going to be her buddies for the night, but maybe she could trade that up for a young guy... and alcohol of course.**_

"I know, I heard. It's uncool and I personally thought you were doing good with your part," Cody encouraged her as he gave her a smile. The two walked out of the theatre building, Candice couldn't believe she was actually going home with him.

Candice felt his arm wrap around her shoulders, "Don't, put, your arm around me. Sorry, it may sound bitchy, but please don't," Candice warned him as she removed his arm.

Cody shrugged, "Okay, but at least come home with me," Cody begged again. His dream was to take her home and it's been his dream for quite a while now.

Candice smiled a little, "Okay, but you better have wine," Candice teased him about.

"I'm twenty f*cking five! Of course I don't have wine, but I can stop for some, If you talk to me... Just let it all out, I like listening to you," Cody admitted as the two walked down the busy sidewalk. And so, Candice began talking- He understood one quarter of it, the other he would one day come to understand.

 _ **Even women sometimes need the comfort that girls are given.**_

* * *

 _ **Back in London, after finishing up my meeting with the fashion creative director's team, I went for a long awaited walk down the London streets. The streets were filled with new fabulous things, yet for some reason the same old feelings lingered inside of me.**_

It was a windy day, so Michelle held on to her sanity for dear life. She was all alone-like, when she bumped into an older woman. This woman was either in her late 40s or in her early 50s, but she sure knew what she was talking about.

"Something is on your mind, what is it," The British lady asked Michelle after quietly sitting next to her for a few minutes now on that bench.

Michelle shook her head, but she eventually had to tell. "Do you really wanna know, okay, well... My career is taking off, but I broke up with my boyfriend for this and now I don't know if I want him back or not," Michelle disclosed, as she watched the little kids playing on the playground.

"Never give your life up for a man... but if you do still like him, then get back with him. Who says you can't have both," The woman advised Michelle, giving her a teasing smile. "Although, realistically speaking, if it doesn't work out, then who cares! You've lost men before in your life, you'll get over it eventually," She added in.

 _ **She was right, I have lost men before... but how many more can I lose until I finally end up alone.**_

Michelle laughed and nodded, "Yes, except, I've already lost this man before... over a decade ago actually. Then he came back into my life recently and now I've lost him again," Michelle explained to the woman.

The woman turned to Michelle, "Oh honey, well darling, it's obvious that fate wants you two together. Take him back and keep your career going too," The woman told Michelle.

Michelle smiled, but she didn't say anything. It was nice to hear, but it was much more complicated and maybe the woman just didn't understand.

"Look, nothing in life is perfect. Sometimes the best things come from the unexpected surprises, so just think about it," The woman told Michelle as she patted Michelle on the thigh. The British woman got up from the bench and off she went.

Michelle watched as the woman disappeared into the giant British population of everyday-people. A part of Michelle wanted to run after the woman and become friends with her, but the other part just let her fade into a population that she would most likely never return to see.

She was left to thinking. If this random woman in this giant city on this giant country could give her such good advice and if this woman could stand out from the rest... What about Jack and the history he held with Michelle, was it really fate?

 _ **This fashionably chic New Yorker came to London alone, but in her suitcase she packed some ghosts right next to her Dior scarfs that just wouldn't leave her alone.**_

* * *

 _ **Torrie wasn't going to let Brock send her off to another planet, so she showed up to his place unannounced and she was determined to force her way into his zip-code... or at least his world.**_

The rain was pouring hard and Torrie was angry, so she knocked on that door very hard. Torrie didn't understand why on earth her boyfriend was having dinner with his ex-wife, it was confusing to her.

She went through the trouble, just to see it through her own eyes.

Torrie cried out as she waited out in the freezing rain.

 _ **Brock didn't think Torrie would actually get in her spaceship just to visit his world, but she did.**_

Brock was stunned with the sight of his girlfriend right in front of his door. "Torrie, what are you doing here! Jesus Christ, you're all soaked in water! I thought I told you I would plan something tomorrow," Brock said as he let her in.

Torrie didn't say a word and she instead made her way to the dinning room, where she saw a sophisticated woman enjoying her warm meal.

"Hello, I'm Brock's girlfriend... just came to have dinner with my boyfriend... who are you," Torrie abruptly roared at the brunette woman.

 _ **This girl was no cat, she was a lioness.**_

The woman didn't say anything, she didn't know what to do. So she froze as she waited for Brock to intervene.

Brock grabbed Torrie by the arm and he took her to the hallway, but Torrie refused and she instead grabbed his other arm with her hand. "Your ex-wife? Brock, who has dinner with their ex-wife," Torrie whispered to him.

Brock scratched the back of his head, "Torrie, no disrespect, but this is something you just wouldn't understand. You're young and you've never been married, haven't had kids either, you wouldn't understand," Brock insisted.

"Okay, I don't understand... help me understand then," Torrie told him as she walked back into the dinning room where the ex-wife awaited.

 _ **The ex-wife was the 2nd of 3 ex-wife's. Dawn Marie was a 44 year old entrepreneur, no kids and no husband, but she was enjoying her single life as a rich Manhattan socialite. Torrie was like a clueless little lamb compared to Dawn Marie- Brock didn't care about that though, Dawn surely knew that already, and Torrie, well, she was clueless about it.**_

* * *

 _ **Back in the gym, the 'hot guy' was the reason for the 3 quarters of Ashley's sweat. It was getting too hot between the two, something was bound to happen.**_

The hot guy, out of all the people in that gym, once again came across Ashley's radar. This time, the two met near the private lockers.

Ashley was coming out of the bathroom, but the hot guy was making his way to his own exclusive private locker-room. Which turned Ashley on even more.

"Hey," The tall dark man said as he gave Ashley a simple wave. Ashley smiled and waved back, she walked away knowing nothing would or could happen.

The man grabbed her before she could leave, "Wanna f*ck," The tall man asked as he waited for Ashley to follow him.

Ashley wanted to say 'no' for her own 'lady-like' manners, but instead she said, "F*CK YEAH."

He pulled her into his own private little locker, locked the doors and off they went.

 _ **Ashley wanted to please this stranger, she was no 'Sporty Spice', but for him she would do him in any yoga-like position.**_

It took them about 0.5 seconds to get it on, but it took them about 2 hours to get it off. "Oh my god! This so hot," Ashley moaned as the man did unforgettable pleasurable things to her body.

The two were in one small room, but they made it work. They did every unimaginable thing in that small locker room. It was the best sex they each have ever had.

 _ **The 'hot guy' was Dwayne Johnson and he was as hard as a 'rock'. It was Ashley's first time having sex in a long time, she felt good and she didn't regret anything.**_

Ashley put on her clothes, she freshened up and off she went like nothing had just happened.

The walls of the locker room were pretty thick, so the sexual escapade they took was kept secret.

Ashley and Dwayne set up another date, a date where sex was the main focus. It was like an appointment and the two were looking forward to it.

 _ **On that rainy day, Ashley's confidence was radiating through like the sun.**_

* * *

 _ **Sex was new to Ashley for the year of 2015, similar to how sex was new to recently divorced Candice.**_

Cody returned to the bedroom after about 5 minutes of disappearing. "I called, I'm letting my understudy take my part for the night," Cody told Candice as he made his way to the bed.

Even half-drunk, Candice still knew that wasn't necessarily a good idea. "What the hell, no! I will not let you do that, just go, I'll be fine," Candice demanded as she got up.

Cody shook his head and laughed, "I'm not letting you go and I'm not going anywhere. Candice I've had fantasies about you, every heterosexual guy from that musical has... so like 2 other guys have had these fantasies about you, believe me! You are hot, but also sophisticated," Cody explained to her.

Candice try'd walking away, but she accidentally knocked over an empty bottle of wine and that reminded her of how wasted she really was. "Ugh! Why the f*ck would you want me, I'm like an old messy train-wreck," Candice told him as she laid back on the bed.

 _ **A part of Candice was still married and having sex with a younger guy was just not for her, but crushing this guy's dreams the way her dreams were crushed earlier that same day was just not something Candice could let happen.**_

"Believe me, I want you," Cody whispered as he began to kiss Candice's neck.

Now that Wade left 'Candice's city', that little city was empty and lonely. A new visitor wanted in and Candice, with hesitation, eventually let him in.

 _ **It was no 'girl in a new city', it was more like a 'new d*ck in a girl's city'. But Candice made it happen, she forgot about everything else for that night and she just let loose.**_

* * *

 _ **Back in London, I was getting no taste of comfort. I was living in a lonely state of mind, where the blues played loudly.**_

Michelle spent her afternoon riding a London Double Decker, she loved it and she loved observing not only the places she passed by, but the people on that Decker.

A couple sat next to Michelle, they had a small little child with them. Sooner than later, the couple and even the small child began conversing with Michelle.

 _ **I found my little family in this unknown city, similar to the little family I had back in New York.**_

Michelle found herself laughing and enjoying their company, it was a calming feeling. The couple would share their stories about London's wild nightmares and they would share their stories about London's exquisite dreams. Michelle simply sat back and she let the rain fall back, enjoying every second of these strangers company.

 _ **My little UK family left me, similar to how my Florida blood family left me... was my New York family going to leave me one day too? Do I even have a family in this large wondrous world?**_

"Well, we have to go. But enjoy the rest of your tour around London, you won't regret it," The woman said as she followed her husband and young boy down the staircase of the Double Decker.

Michelle watched from the window as the little family walked away, they soon blended into the crowd and Michelle lost sight of them. She counted every individual as they walked by in large crowds, they were more fascinating and complex than the many little raindrops that fell down. Like raindrops, people eventually fall and disappear, she couldn't let Jack fall and disappear she thought.

 _ **I feared the known more than I feared the unknown. Maybe it's because I was afraid of losing the 'known', maybe it's because I was afraid of not finding the 'known' within the unknown.**_

* * *

 _ **Across the cold strange sea, Torrie was feeling a cold strange dark cloud over her head. Having dinner with your boyfriend and his ex-wife is something no sane person would ever sit down for, but Torrie took the challenge and she was beginning to feel like the third wheel at the dinner table... and in Brock's life in general.**_

"Remember Brock, oh god, I can't even say it," Dawn uttered, but before she could finish she would interrupt herself with her own laughs.

Brock burst out in laughter too, "Don't even talk about it! I think I know what you're talking about, Torrie is still young, don't scar her," Brock jokingly said as he laughed along with Dawn.

Torrie smiled, hearing Brock finally acknowledge her was something that hasn't happened for the entirety of what seemed to be the longest dinner ever. "What is it? I won't mind, go ahead, reminisce," Torrie insisted as she waited for them to tell her.

Dawn didn't hesitate, "We had a meeting one day, but we skipped it and we flew out to Orlando instead. I remember taking little Emma and gosh it was the best of times, we went to Disneyland and everything," Dawn admitted, laughing as she covered her mouth.

Brock held onto Dawn's shoulder. The two were laughing all the way back to 2002, when they were both just in their mid-30's.

The two continued talking, leaving Torrie out of the bubble.

 _ **Torrie felt like the left-out teenage daughter at that dinner table, she was surely some 'Baby Spice'.**_

Torrie got up and without saying anything, she walked away for a breath.

* * *

 _ **That same day, except on another county, I was seeing my future and that future looked very empty.**_

Michelle was leaning on the railing of the iconic Tower Bridge. It was beginning to get dark out in the world, but the lights of the Tower Bridge were still up and shining.

They weren't necessarily blinding her, in fact, they weren't even noticed by Michelle. She was too busy wrapping her mind around her own worries, that she forgot about the whole reason of why she was even in London to begin with.

Just like London's unknown depths, Michelle began to think about the depths of life in general.

Michelle wrapped her coat around even tighter, she let go of her breath and she began to walk along. She could taste the fresh air that was new and unrecognizable.

 _ **I was standing underneath the Tower Bridge in London, so maybe my future didn't look so empty I guess. I was here in London, with an opportunity that I could never imagine before, so who knows what that future holds. I was missing New York and I was ready to go home, 'home' is something I can safely call New York.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Dawn Marie, and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On October 17, 2015.**


	8. That Marriage Crap Always Comes Back

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 8: That Marriage Crap Always Comes Back**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **New York is filled with endless possibilities, but having sex on a Saturday morning before breakfast seems to be one of the city's favorites.**_

Ashley and Dwayne met again for another round of hot smokin' sex. The two met at Dwayne's lavish place on the upper side of Manhattan, Ashley was again very impressed.

This man was practically perfect, he seemed to have everything and Ashley found it hard to believe that he wanted her as his f*ck-buddy of all people.

They met at 6:00 A.M. and they finished at 8:00 A.M. It was two hours well spent, but Ashley couldn't stay. She knew it was just sex and he was giving her no signs of anything else, although she'd like to believe.

 _ **After getting f*cked, Ashley made herself all classy-like and she headed home with no shame in that purse of her's... just a purse full of the 'Cs'- Condoms and Confidence.**_

Ashley walked out of his place, the rain was lightly drizzling in the fresh air and Ashley felt fresh too.

* * *

 _ **On that same chilly October morning, I met up with Jack. Well, he surprised me and he met up with me.**_

Jack steadily made his way to Michelle, his paces were slow, but his heart was racing faster than the lightning New York had that previous night.

Michelle locked up her apartment door. Michelle walked down the staircase, but she didn't notice the figure standing across the street from her. Jack shamefully turned his head to walk away, but he finally pulled himself together.

"Michelle, hey! Michelle, wait, I have to talk to you," Jack helplessly yelled as he ran across the surprisingly empty wet black coated street. Michelle froze, but she wasn't running away and she was actually looking forward to whatever it was Jack would say to her.

 _ **For some reason, seeing his nervous face as he made his way towards me touched me somewhere deep.**_

"Jack, look, I have no apologies to give to you. I'm living my life and I shouldn't have to apologize! I'm not mad at you anymore though, so stop worrying," Michelle insisted as she put her white _Coach_ gloves on.

Jack was relieved and he quickly went in for a hug, throwing Michelle off. "I'm the one who is truly truly sorry! It was silly of me and I'm embarrassed of my behavior. You are a great woman and I don't want lose that... not again," Jack said as he held onto her.

Michelle embraced the hug, but it was all too real for her. The emotions were intense and the city seemed to be pushing her towards Jack, this time even more blatantly rough.

* * *

"You're back with Jack, hmm, I'm not surprised," Candice said as she put syrup on her pancake.

Torrie gasped, "Well, Brock and I got back together... but it's not really the same... but maybe for you and Jack it'll be the same or different, I don't know," Torrie said as she gave Michelle a nod and a smile.

"No, no! Believe me, I want it to be different this time around! I mean, we're both older now and it just feels like it'll be different this time around," Michelle insisted to them, but mostly to herself.

Candice rolled her eyes, "Exactly, you're older this time around! Which means that you should be able to smell bullshit when it's around you! You can't actually be serious about getting back with him," Candice cried out with nothing but honesty for a friend she didn't want to see fall again.

 _ **I can walk this earth with my eyes blindfolded, thanks to my dear friends who always look out for me... but I knew what I was doing and Jack was like a shoe that felt so right.**_

Michelle turned to Candice, "What is the matter! I said things are different this time around, now I would appreciate it if you could just be a little more positive. Candice, Jack and I have too much history, I can't just throw it away like that," Michelle lashed out at Candice.

 _ **Their was a silence between us, one that I wasn't used to having between Candice and I.**_

Torrie felt the heavy tension between the two, but she couldn't keep herself quite. "Oh my god, history, that's it! Brock and Dawn obviously have a long history between themselves, I'm just the dumb young girlfriend," Torrie helplessly cried out as she rested her head on her hands.

Candice smirked a little, "Oh, now you're calling yourself young! Oh and Speaking of young girls, I got replaced at my own musical with this orange-haired Becky f*cking Lynch! She left for like a month and then came back with orange f*cking hair, oh and apparently with my leading role too! F*ck young girls," Candice blurted out as she laughed a little.

Torrie lifted her head up, "By the way, I'm not young! Once a woman reaches her 30s, she's officially middle-aged, so I'm not offended by what you just said," Torrie said, laughing a little too, to ease the lingering tension in the room.

Michelle laughed along, "I'm sorry," Michelle said quietly to Candice.

Candice gave her a wink, "Look, it's your life... it's not like you're getting married to the man," Candice jokingly replied. The three laughed and Michelle felt relieved.

 _ **We couldn't stay angry for more than a couple of minutes. Maybe, I just didn't want my friends to be doubtful at a time when I'm trying to force myself that I am sure.**_

* * *

 _ **On the other side of New York, Ashley was obsessing over the hot gym guy Dwayne. It was something that she couldn't let herself do because she was literally only doing him, that's it, it was just sex. But Ashley confused it for more than just that, something all women are guilty of doing when they have a f*ck-buddy.**_

"Dolph, I'm telling you, he has the biggest d*ck I have ever seen," Ashley bragged about to her gay friend through the phone. "It's no joke and his body is insane! See, this is what I need! Sex, no more crushes for this girl, I'm done, they just get me feeling all insecure," she said.

 _"Well, just remember that it's just sex! You women get all emotional and you're hearing this from a gay man, so just be careful,"_ Dolph warned Ashley about.

 _ **Ashley didn't listen, she was too busy daydreaming about other worldly fantasies with Dwayne. Fantasies as in 'dates', 'marriage', 'kids', 'buying a home together'- You know, all the movie-like scenes.**_

"You know what, I'm going back to his place! Sure, why not, I mean, If we can have great sex, we can definitely have a great friendship that leads to a great relationship," Ashley convinced herself as she turned around to walk back to his place. _"Wait, Ashley, what are you doing,"_ Dolph's voice said through her cellphone's speaker. Ashley hung up her phone and off she went, with her head up in the grey foggy clouds of New York.

 _ **15 minutes later, Ashley showed up at Dwayne's place again, expecting to get a little more out of this 'godly-sex' man.**_

Dwayne was petrified at the sight of Ashley standing in front of his door, "Sex, are you here for more sex," Dwayne questioned as he shrugged.

Ashley smiled and shook her head, "No, no! Talk, I'm here so that we can talk more! We need to talk and just get to know each other, you know," Ashley told him as she forcibly let herself into his place.

 _ **Except Dwayne didn't want to 'talk'. That mortified him, for men that only slept around, hearing "let's get to know each other" was like a drug dealer realizing that their costumer is an undercover cop.**_

"I actually have somewhere to be... this is just sex by the way? You do understand that, right," Dwayne let her know as he casually pushed her out the door.

Ashley acted 'cool' about it and she simply began to walk away on her own, "Totally, just sex," Ashley repeated as she headed for the door. "This was just a prank by the way! Sex is all I think about and I think we should continue to have just raging sex," Ashley insisted as she walked away. That's all Dwayne wanted to hear, but sex wasn't everything for Ashley.

 _ **This time, Ashley did walk away with a purse full of regrets and humiliation. I wondered, Why is it that human beings don't take passionate romance seriously? Is it because we fear it, because we fear of putting our hearts on the table? Maybe in the times where being naked is normal- Is being emotionally exposed much more dangerous than being physically exposed?**_

* * *

 _ **Some women simply fear putting their hearts out on the table because they have had their's stolen in the past, only to be returned all broken. Candice was one of them, she got her heart shattered in that 15 'marriage crap' as she liked to call it.**_

While on her morning run through the Central Park, Candice was feeling alive and the smell of the soily rainy air gave her a sense of feeling alive. Candice knew that any second now the rain could pour down again, but she didn't know that any second now she was going to end up running into her ex-husband.

"Oh my god," Candice whispered to herself as she stood only feet away from her ex-husband and his new girlfriend.

Candice hid behind a tree, she watched as Wade and his new girlfriend walked in a path of deep love. They were both lost in each other's eyes, which Candice surprisingly was thankful for. If Wade was looking ahead, he would've probably caught Candice.

Candice carefully looked at them, they looked so happy and they looked so rejuvenated with young life. As they passed her, Candice quietly circled the tree to end up on the other side where she would be safe from the chances of the couple catching a glimpse of her.

 _ **That marriage crap returned and it was making Candice feel all numb inside.**_

"Oh fuck," Candice whispered to herself, trying to calm herself down. She ran off and she didn't spend one more second thinking about it, but it was unbearable for her to compare her life to his.

* * *

 _ **The rain seemed to be waking everybody up, including Torrie. She was feeling spontaneous and wanted to surprise Brock at his office, which she's never visited.**_

Torrie waited on the elevator, she looked inside her cute pink bag where a box of cupcakes sat patiently.

"Surprise! I just thought it'd be cute if I stopped by to share a cupcake with you," Torrie exclaimed as she made her way to Brock. Her eyes were closed to appear more cute, but she didn't see the guests Brock had over.

Torrie stopped once she saw them, "Oh... Oh, I'm sorry. Hi, I'm Torrie," Torrie awkwardly said as she watched the unimpressed looks on their faces. Brock was the only one smiling, he pulled her in by the arm and he whispered, "Torrie I appreciate this all, but you could've called first!"

Brock turned to the highly respected men and women, "Okay, well Torrie will be joining us. Let's just hope she brought enough of those delicious pastries," Brock said as he sat down.

 _ **Torrie was like a raindrop. She took a leap from the heavenly skies, only to find herself falling on the floor and then disappearing quickly afterwards in the life & times of Brock.**_

"I'm gonna go actually, but enjoy the cupcakes... and sorry about my interruption," Torrie said as she headed for the door. The second Torrie touched the doorknob, was the second it opened from the other side.

Dawn Marie walked in with her fancy _Prada_ purse and with her _Chanel_ sunglasses on, "Oh, are those cupcakes I see. I'm late, but let's get going," Dawn demanded as she walked right past Torrie.

"Torrie made them," Brock added as he pointed to Torrie. Dawn finally acknowledged Torrie's presence, "Aww, cute! If I could bake I would make a cute wife, too bad I actually have a career," Dawn said as she laughed. Even her laugh was fancy and all proper-like.

Torrie forcibly laughed along, she was getting an itch to stay, but she knew she couldn't. "Well, off I go," Torrie said as she hesitated for the door.

 _ **Torrie was the girlfriend, but Dawn was the business partner and ex-wife of Brock. Therefore Torrie knew she had to step down to let Dawn and Brock do their thing.**_

* * *

 _ **In a city like New York, where women are easily more available than men, running into an old female friend is much more rare than running into an ex-boyfriend. However, I did end up running into an old female friend in the middle of the endless streets of New York.**_

"Michelle," A voice exclaimed from the sidewalk. Michelle was just about ready to cross the street, but the familiar sound made her turn around.

Michelle gasped and threw her arms in the air, "Oh god, what a surprise! Stacy, how have you been," Michelle asked her old friend as she made her way to her.

The two hugged, but it was a stranger to stranger hug, so the two had to catch up. "You know, I've been good. I divorced my husband 3 years ago, but I was blessed enough to have two kids with him. I'm currently going for my second marriage... let's hope this one works out, right," Stacy said abruptly, while laughing.

 _ **Once Stacy got married back in 2004, she became 'Mrs. Perfect' and she soon drifted away from us screwed up girls. I guess she wasn't so perfect, either way, hearing her talk about her kids and her second upcoming wedding empowered me for some reason.**_

"Who's the lucky guy? You know, I always loved Kenny, but who's the new groom," Michelle teasingly asked as she and Stacy walked along.

Stacy turned to Michelle and she paused, a chuckle came out before any words could. "Believe it or not, it is Rodger, my old boyfriend. The one I would cry about back in the day, the one we would talk shit about every time after he would break my heart over and over again," Stacy reminisced as a smile shined across her face.

Michelle smiled too, seeing an old friend was a reward in it's self, but seeing an old friend light up about the new in her life was just incredible. "Well hey, It'll work out! You know, once you got married, I for sure thought that Rodger would never re-appear into you life, but looks like fate is stronger than marriage," Michelle admitted as she gave Stacy another hug just for the sake of it.

 _ **I was feeling optimistic in that moment. If a woman can build her life and then watch it fall apart, only to build it back up with a man she left in the past... well, then who knows what crazy things fate can bring. Like fate bringing Jack and I back together, it's crazy.**_

* * *

 _ **Candice didn't believe in fate, especially after watching her former 'partner for life' and 'soulmate' walking along Central Park with some new younger version of her. Candice was over that marriage crap, she was now more into clubs, which is why she was taking Cody deep into an underground hip club.**_

"You know, I'm glad we're hanging out. I swear I thought you would end up dumping me after we had sex," Cody admitted to Candice, trying to speak over the loud music that was even heard from outside the club's exclusive doors.

Candice ignored the young man's words, "Okay, you're lucky you're with me. This is a very exclusive club and I know the owner of this place. Trust me, all of your young friends will be coming here in a few months talking about how new this place is," Candice insisted as she walked by the security guards without any trouble.

 _ **Candice felt oh-so-cool and she felt so in charge, she felt like a true boss. Her ex-husband might have a hot new girlfriend, but she is taking over the hottest clubs New York City has to offer.**_

* * *

 _ **While some were living the nightlife of the city, others were glued to their computers with their paranoid ideas in their heads. Torrie was never one to get jealous or insecure, but she was curious and she thought it'd be fun to search up Brock on google.**_

Torrie scrolled down, she chose not to click on any of the websites. Mostly because some were unrelated to the 'Brock Lesnar' she was looking for and the other few websites, she had already visited back when they first started dating in February.

One thing caught her eye, in the suggestions section of the page, Dawn Marie's name popped up. Torrie clicked on it, but she wasn't ready to see Dawn Marie and all of her professional glory.

All of the websites were actually relating to Dawn Marie- story's and articles all about Mrs. Dawn Marie. Even the images on Google were all of Dawn Marie. They were all photo shoots of her in a blazer, some were even of her in Manhattan's most prestigious events.

"This bitch has her own website," Torrie said to herself as she clicked on the website that appeared at the top of the suggestions.

 _ **Torrie was never one to curse, but she also was never one to have her own website, so she had to curse. The website was all professional-like and neat, the header was of Dawn Marie and she was staring directly through the screen at Torrie and right through Torrie too. This successful self-made woman was practically mocking the young and innocent Torrie Wilson.**_

* * *

 _ **At a new coffee shop, I was having a conversation with an old friend.**_

"You know it's funny, because Jack actually contacted me a couple of weeks ago asking me to somehow help him out with you. I totally forgot about him, I mean, he just disappeared out of nowhere. But him bringing up your name was actually really scary for me. You know, 'what the hell happened to my friend?' I thought," Stacy admitted as she took a sip from her iced latte.

Michelle shook her head and laughed, "I'm not that pathetic if that's what you're thinking, believe me. I actually just suddenly out of nowhere ran into him like 2 months ago... next thing you know, I caught feelings for him all over again, but I'm not the same girl," Michelle claimed to an old friend, who seemed to be a transformed and improved woman from the one Michelle met over a decade ago.

 ** _I felt like I had to convince people of my true feelings._**

Stacy shrugged, "Well, hey, I say go for it. 15 years between you two and you two really seem different. I mean, look at me, Rodger? Out of all people, Rodger," Stacy said, laughing at herself. "So, who'd you meet after him," Stacy asked.

Michelle didn't know how to answer, she didn't have a list to give to her. "Well many guys, but one in particular comes to mind. Mark actually, he became my best friend and then my husband... but we divorced last November and he moved away recently," Michelle said. "How great is my life right? Everybody leaves me eventually, except for my 3 great girl-friends I guess," Michelle said with a smile and a tear ready to come out.

 ** _In that moment I realized, that the only person I was trying to convince of my true feelings... was myself and I was denying the fears, but in reality I didn't want to lose yet another person from my life._**

Stacy felt guilty and she knew she wasn't one of those '3 great girl-friends'. "I left you the way your biological family left you... I'm sorry for that, I let marriage change me. Don't let Jack leave you, don't leave him neither and it's good that you didn't let your first marriage change you the way it changed me," Stacy said as she patted Michelle's arm with much regrets, but much nostalgic love.

* * *

 _ **Candice spent the night convincing herself that she could keep up with the partying she used to keep up with back in the 90s, but she couldn't.**_

Candice stopped dancing, but her mind never stopped spinning. Her head felt like it was being compressed and she was seeing double of everything.

The room was getting hotter and hotter, so Candice ran out the back door for a fresh breath of air.

 _ **Before Candice could stop to think about what her life has really come down to, she could feel the vomit coming up her and that spoke the truth for her.**_

Candice hurled in the alley-way, she could hear sirens and dogs barking, people on crystal meth laughing as they walked by, hookers making deals with married men. The alcohol wouldn't leave her alone, it just continuously poured out of her in the form of vomit- But Candice also didn't leave the alcohol alone and she was beginning to regret it.

 _ **Candice wanted to believe that she was in control of her life and maybe she was, but not when it came to that alcohol. Candice also didn't believe in marriage anymore, but on that cold scary amplified night... she wanted so badly to be saved.**_

She could hear the loud club banging inside, it didn't stop, but one young man did. Cody stepped outside, worried, as he looks for Candice.

He was relieved once he saw Candice, "Here, let's go. You're staying over at my place, I won't let you not," Cody said as he helped her up.

 _ **He saved her, for that night at least and maybe that was enough. Women need saving, like men need saving- Not every second, but during certain dark moments in one's life.**_

* * *

 _ **On that same night, I was the one doing the saving.**_

"I don't want to leave you," Michelle blurted to Jack, while the two walked Michelle's neighborhood. Jack turned to her and smiled, "Don't leave me," Jack responded.

Michelle and Jack continued walking through the night, silence, but it was a calming silence.

"But don't you ever leave me either," Michelle added as she held tightly onto his hand.

 _ **Maybe I needed the saving too, it was a mutual saving. We both have lost too much, to risk losing yet another.**_

Jack let go of Michelle's hand, "Take a risk with me... Marry me?"

Michelle eyes widened.

Jack stepped in front of Michelle and he grabbed her by the shoulders, "Why not? It's obvious that we should, the night is calling for us to marry, the signs are all pointing," Jack explained to her.

Michelle shook her head, "Jack, that'd be crazy," she told him as she laughed it off.

"Exactly, what are the chances of us finding crazy again? We need crazy, like we need each other," Jack told her as he got on his knee.

He grabbed Michelle's shaking hand and he waited with the question up in the air, "Will you marry me?"

 _ **The night felt infinite, Jack felt infinite, even I felt infinite, but most importantly... we felt infinite.**_

Jack stared into her gleaming eyes and Michelle felt the answer slowly making it's way through her mouth. One word, yet so hard to utter. "YES..."

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Dwayne Johnson, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, Brock Lesnar, Dawn Marie,** **Stacy Keibler,** **and Cody Rhodes.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On October 24, 2015.**


	9. Magical Moments

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 9: Magical Moments**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **After the big magical moments, come the very real moments. I was engaged, but I didn't feel 'engaged'.**_

"So, anything new with you all," Ashley asked the girls as she ran syrup on her pancakes.

Michelle was the first to speak, "Well, Jack proposed to me and I said 'yes'... I'm engaged," Michelle told them as she poured some sugar into her coffee.

"OH MY GOD! That's so great, congratulations," Torrie exclaimed as she jumped up in excitement. "I'm so happy for you... but where's the ring?"

Michelle laughed, "Well, he technically didn't have a ring on him... but you know, no big deal. That's why I didn't tell you guys the second it happened, it's my second marriage, no big deal," Michelle insisted as she drank from her nearly cold coffee.

 _ **No matter how much sugar I added to my coffee, it wouldn't intoxicate me to believe that marriage was all that sweet or magical. It's great, if the love is there and if that love sticks by.**_

Ashley gave Michelle a smirk, "Great, you're divorced for 11 months and already engaged! I've been single all year long, I've practically been single for 3 quarters of my life," Ashley jokingly said. "But good for you, really, I mean it," Ashley told Michelle with a sincere smile.

"Thank you, thank you girls! It means a lot," Michelle told them, then slowly turning to Candice to hear what she had to say.

Candice looked up, "Go you! I'm sure that marriage will be fine from your side of the bridge... I just don't know how it'll go from the groom's side of the bridge," Candice honestly opinionated as she carried on with her brownie.

 _ **I wanted to feel confident with the fact that I was engaged, but some were making it very hard for me.**_

"Okay, what is up with you and Jack! You attack him every damn time and you better get used to him, I mean it," Michelle snapped at Candice.

Candice looked at the expression on Michelle's face and she knew Michelle was pissed. "Oh come on, Michelle, I'm just being realistic... you are talking to a recently divorce woman here," Candice remind her as she got her purse and took one last bite of that brownie.

Torrie gasped as Michelle simply crossed her arms and turned away. "Candice don't leave! We're just talking here," Ashley said as she watched Candice dash out of the breakfast dining restaurant without even looking back.

Michelle drank her coffee and she moved on to another topic, "Let her leave," she said to the two women still sitting at the table.

 _ **You would think that two divorced women would agree on the topic of marriage.**_

* * *

 _ **I may have been the engaged one, but Ashley was engaged in another form, she was engaged in some very great sex.**_

Dwayne let Ashley borrow his private locker room at the gym, but she was not expecting him to be there when she arrived in the very early morning.

"Ashley, I didn't think you'd be here at such early hours," Dwayne said as he grabbed her by the waist.

Ashley loved the touch of his rough hands, but she still insisted on pushing his hands away. "Look, I like having sex with you, but that's about it, I only 'like' it. I loved it the first time, but now it's just getting boring and repetitive! A couple thrusts and boom bang done, I want more honestly," Ashley admitted as she began to walk away.

 _ **I guess even a sexual relationship with some stranger can begin to lose it's magic too.**_

Dwayne wanted so badly to have sex in that moment, "No, we can make it more exciting... role-play," He desperately suggested as he tried stopping her.

Ashley turned around, "Okay, I'll come over to your place and I'll be dressed up. You have to be dressed up too by the way and make it sexy, some 50 Shades Of Grey type of thing," Ashley teased as she gave him one last blowing kiss.

 _ **The very same girl that was not too long ago rejected by the same man, because according to him it was all about sex between the two, was now the woman with the power and she was making him work for it, no matter how hot he was.**_

* * *

 _ **After the breakfast fiasco, Candice went her own way, but along the way she crossed paths with another one's path. Cody's path and he was getting heat for not showing up to rehearsals... partially due to her.**_

Candice walked into the theatre through the back door, when she overheard Cody's name being constantly repeated.

"We can fire you if we wanted to. If we can fire the creator of this whole show, what makes you think we can't fire you," The producer warned Cody with his finger in the air.

Candice quickly stepped in, "Woah, woah, woah! No one's getting fired and Cody has been doing a great job with his part," Candice reminded them as she took off her sunglasses.

"Back off Candice! It's your fault he's in this whole mess in the first place," Becky came out saying as she made her way to them. "That's right, everybody knows about your little affair with Cody," Becky mocked her about.

 _ **Candice was willing to turn the other cheek with this young actress twice, but this 3rd time around, she was ready to put up a fight with the newly orange-haired Becky.**_

"Oh really, see, last I remembered you were terrified of me," Candice reminded Becky. "But you come back with your poorly cheap dyed hair and you come back stealing my part, so now you think you're all that," Candice barked out at as she refused to even look at Becky in the eye.

"I'm not scared of you Candice, not anymore... and at least I'm not the desperate 40 year old in need of major rehab, all while sleeping with a guy two decades younger than me," Becky bashed her as she got closer up to Candice's face.

The tension heated up the place and the roof could come off any second now, so the two were pulled apart. "Okay, you two, cut it out," The producer finally told them off as he pushed them in opposite ways. "Cody, I guess you won't be getting fired, just don't screw up with rehearsals, it costs money to rent this place!"

 _ **Candice saved him on that stage, similar to how he saved her on that dark alley the other cold night.**_

* * *

 _ **Planning for a wedding wasn't even on my mind, but Torrie insisted on starting the wedding planning right away.**_

The two girls took a long trip to a bridal shop in the Upper West Side, a place Torrie always knew about and a place Torrie dreamed of one day going for herself. "It's important to look around and get an idea of how you envision your wedding, even if it's not happening in the next few months," Torrie would remind Michelle as they walked into the fancy little boutique.

"Okay, so it's like a birthday party for a kid... except more expensive and more white," Michelle jokingly said as she got a first glance of the entire display of wedding dresses.

Torrie turned to her, "Oh come on, be more positive! I hate feeling more excited about this than you, it's your wedding and many girls would kill to have a spot in your shoes... like me, so take this serious," Torrie demanded as she held onto Michelle's arm like a mother would.

 _ **I wasn't being cynical, I was just not really feeling it.**_

"Look, I have to be honest with you, I'm not too excited about this... I love Jack, but I just don't know if I'll ever love marriage," Michelle admitted as she purposely ignored the dresses around her.

Torrie understood, even though she believed marriages were magical and sacred, she understood. "I get it and you know what, the 'wedding magic' will eventually catch up with you, it'll take time, but eventually it'll catch up," Torrie convinced Michelle as she patted her shoulder.

"The important thing, even more than a wedding, is to feel the magic with Jack and if their's passion, then you'll be fine," Torrie reassured Michelle as she gave her a smile and carried on with dying over the beautiful dresses.

 _ **Torrie reminded me that passion to me was always the most important aspect in a relationship, and I had that... as for the 'magic' part, well I'm not so sure about that.**_

* * *

 _ **About two hours later and about two blocks away, Torrie met Brock for a quick lunch in Central Park.**_

"So how has your day been so far," Torrie asked as she walked along, with her hand in his.

It took Brock about 1 minute to finally put his phone away and actually respond, "Busy, what about your's," Brock asked as he almost carelessly walked down such beautiful scenery. The orange & brown & yellow & red & green leaves were falling right in front of them, the smell of Autumn was fresh, but Brock only smelled his turkey sandwich and he knew he had to finish it fast so that he could get back to his office.

"It's been good so far. I had breakfast with the girls and Michelle's engaged, so I took her to a wedding boutique so that she could maybe get in the wedding mood," Torrie told him about as she held onto his arm this time and tight too.

"Good for her," Brock said, short and simple.

Torrie smiled and looked up at him, "How lovely must it be to have a wedding and be married to the love of your life," Torrie daydreamed about as she looked at her 'love of the life'... or at least that's what she thought.

Brock chuckled, but he didn't say much after that.

 _ **Brock has been married already, he was over it. Torrie on the other hand, was just getting started, now that she was in her 30's, she was determined to marry anytime soon.**_

A man was walking very fast towards Brock, Brock waved and he let go of Torrie's hand. "Hey Eli, I have the charts for the growth of the stocks we invested in," Brock said as he shook the big businessman's hand.

"I'll leave, I don't want to disturb you two," Torrie said as she walked away. Brock hugged her before she left, "I'm sorry, but I'll make it up to you," Brock promised her as he finally turned around to walk away.

* * *

 _ **Some women want weddings, others simply want a date, and others simply control a man's sexual fantasies. Ashley was fully dressed as Batgirl and she was going to fully control Dwayne with her moves.**_

Ashley made adjustments to her costume, adjustments that involved her breasts being tightly compressed in that leather black dress. Her whip was fresh and you could only see Ashley's dark red lips and those mysterious seductive eyes of her through that black bat mask.

"Is anybody in there," Ashley teased with a breathy voice as she knocked on the door lightly.

Dwayne opened it up, dressed up as a full on gladiator, "I don't know what a gladiator would say, but I'm saying that 'I wanna f*ck'," Dwayne exclaimed as he pulled Ashley by the arm.

Ashley's cape swooshed as she was pulled in. The two almost instantly had their hands all over each other, soon enough they were teasing each other. "I need to have you," Dwayne groaned as he ripped Ashley's dress. He couldn't resist and she didn't mind.

 _ **The two sure had magic, the imagination type of magic, but they had it. Halloween passed, so Ashley didn't mind having her costume ripped by this sexually intrigued man.**_

Ashley lied on the bed as Dwayne began to lick away, each lick made Ashley tingle. The touch of the white silky sheets gave her comfort, while the pillows of his bed were all surrounding the floor. Dwayne's hands were holding onto Ashley's hips and Ashley was holding onto those sheets as she moaned with pleasure.

 _ **Ashley sure had her fun in Gotham City, because sex is never as good anywhere else.**_

* * *

 _ **Earlier that day, Cody had invited Candice to a new club he had heard of in the Bronx, but she turned down the invitation... until Cody mentioned that Becky Lynch would be going too and suddenly Candice changed her mind.**_

She put on her makeup in a new way, one that made her look 'younger'. She put her hair up in a bun, the way one of those Italian Jersey Shore girls would. She picked the most 'hookerish' dress she could find, one that emphasized all of her assets and out the door she went.

Cody's jaw dropped the second he saw her from the cab. "I don't do the f*cking Bronx, so this better be good," Candice warned him as she got in the cab. Cody couldn't stop staring, he was drooling over her.

 _ **Candice was the ultimate fantasy to Cody and she sure was playing the part for him.**_

"What, are you judging me like the rest of society," Candice snapped at him as she closed the door.

Cody laughed and turned away, "I'm just admiring you, not judging! Becky could never reach your level by the way, even with you not trying," Cody tried flattering her as he continued smiling like some fool.

"Don't fucking judge me, because you are, you actually think that I'm competing with some young bitch! It's only coincidental that I realized that I had nothing else to do today and it's only coincidental that I had this dress ready to go... that Becky bitch has nothing to do with why I decided to come with you to this club," Candice insisted.

 _ **She was desperately trying to tell the world that her time wasn't up, even if that 'Becky bitch' took her lead role. But maybe it was deeper than that, maybe Candice was feeling the pressures of society and what they expected her life to look like?**_

"If anything, I'm competing with those Puerto Ricans over at the Bronx... trust me, they're all smoking hot and this Manhattan bitch isn't letting some other borough bitch steal the shine," Candice let Cody know and the rest of New York.

Cody turned back to her after a few seconds of silence, "Well I think you look smoking," Cody added in.

"I know," she responded as she looked out the taxi cab's window.

* * *

 _ **I was feeling the pressures of society too, a marriage doesn't always come directly after a proposal... well technically it does, but not in the world of an over-analyzer. I was being pressured into planning some huge dreamy wedding and I went along with it, I even called up a few wedding planners that same day.**_

Michelle was waiting at a local Starbucks as she read a book. "Hello, Michelle?" A woman asked as she carried a large binder with her. Michelle put her book down and nodded, "Yes, I'm the bride, you must be Antonia," Michelle joyfully exclaimed as she took off her reading glasses.

 _ **My cheerful tone was fake, inside I was dying. Even me reading the damn book was fake, all I could think about was how on earth I would go through with this? I was faker than the pretentious hipsters that take their laptops over to Starbucks to 'write'.**_

"Okay, well let's get started," the wedding planner said as she put her binder down. The sound of it coming crashing onto the coffee round-table scared Michelle, but the idea of a marriage scared her a little more.

"First, when is the wedding, you know, what season? Is it a Spring one, a Winter one, or a Summer one maybe?" she asked Michelle as she flipped through the binder. Michelle shrugged and she didn't even have to say anything for the wedding planner to realize that Michelle was very clueless.

 _ **The truth was, I would gladly take a honeymoon for all those seasons any day... but the wedding comes first and that's the part that still questionably lingered on my mind.**_

The wedding planner refused to give up on Michelle so fast, "Okay, you don't know, no big deal! So what theme do you want for this wedding?" she asked Michelle.

Michelle shrugged, she try'd giving her more than just a shrug, but she just couldn't come up with anything to say.

"No big deal! You'll eventually know, okay, how about flowers? Every girl knows the flowers she wants for her big day," The wedding planner teased as she waited for Michelle to respond.

 _ **She was oddly right, even Ashley knew what flowers she would want for her big day... and Ashley is more cynical than I am.**_

Michelle had a blank look on her face. After seconds of awkward silence, Michelle finally chuckled to ease the uncomfortable misunderstanding. "Look, Antonia... I'm sorry to have dragged you over here and I'm sorry that I wasted your time, but I'm happily engaged right now and a wedding isn't even on the horizon for me yet," Michelle admitted.

The wedding planner slammed her binder and she got up from the stool, "You have got to be f*cking kidding me," the wedding planner grunted as she walked out.

* * *

 _ **Later that evening, Torrie was finally having her long-awaited official real date with Brock.**_

Torrie wore a beautiful sparkly gown, it was all glamour and she wasn't sorry for being too much. Meanwhile, Brock wore his most beloved suit and the two had a very romantic dinner at the rooftop of his apartment.

Everything seemed to be going perfect. "I love this wine, what type is it," Torrie asked Brock as she took another sip of her lovely maroon red wine.

"It's pinot noir," Brock said as he gave her a smile. That soon lead to a conversation about wine and then that lead to a conversation about memories caused by wine. They shared laughs and they kissed over & over again, sweetly, it was all magical.

 _ **His perfect silver Hugo Boss watch shined, the Manhattan lights in the distant background shined, Torrie's eyes gave off a shine... but Brock was missing that shine.**_

Soon enough, Torrie lost Brock and he became distracted by his own world. "I should've told you earlier, but the chairman of some business is coming over last minute. He wants to talk about this investment I might make in his business proposal, but you don't mind having a guest right," Brock told her as he cut his salmon up into pieces.

Torrie shook her head and had one last taste of that wine. "Don't worry, I'll go," she told Brock as she gave him a hug. Brock kissed her and Torrie's last taste of that night with him was sweet, but nothing 'magical'.

 _ **And just like that, Torrie's long awaited moment ended.**_

* * *

 _ **Ashley's delusional taste of 'magic' was also about to end. The hot guy she was banging wasn't just a hot guy, Dwayne actually played basketball for the New York Knicks.**_

After a long two hours of sex, Ashley and Dwayne dressed themselves back into their regular clothes. Ashley was all dressed up, she was lying in his bed just curiously looking for any good shows to watch.

Dwayne walked out of the bathroom, with his sweatpants and authentic _Knicks_ jacket. Ashley turned to him and she was impressed, "Wow, you like the _Knicks_! I prefer my team the _Nets_ , I mean, I don't watch basketball or any sport for that matter, but gotta represent my home Brooklyn," Ashley exclaimed as she unknowingly was talking to an actual _Knicks_ player.

Dwayne laughed and he took the control from her hands, "Just watch," he told her as he searched for his pre-recorded October 31st game against the _Wizards_. He fast-forwarded through the first part and then paused it, "Hmm? He looks familiar doesn't he," Dwayne teasingly asked her as he stood next to the TV. Both faces staring at Ashley.

 _ **That was the problem, Dwayne's 'regular' self was dressed up in an NBA uniform that could easily be put up for sale on Ebay for a couple grand. Ashley's regular self was far too insecure now, maybe knowing that the man you are sleeping with is a basketball player for the NBA isn't always a good thing.**_

Ashley gasped and New Yorkers don't gasp when they meet someone 'merely' famous. "Well, that's not surprising at all," Ashley sarcastically said as she chuckled. "Just one question, why the hell are you sleeping with me then," she asked the _Knicks_ player as she sat up on his bed.

He shrugged, "Sex is like a basketball game. Their are certain teams I enjoy playing because of how good the game ends up being between us... just like the great sex between us and I enjoy that," Dwayne told her as he gave her a wink.

Ashley gave him a wink and she put her hands around his waist, "Well, maybe, before you go... I can blow you, for good luck," Ashley teased as she soon went down on him.

 _ **Even though Ashley strongly believed Dwayne was out of her league, especially now, she was nonetheless turned on by it... he even let her stay at his loft after he left for his big game against the Lakers.**_

* * *

 _ **Over at the Bronx, Candice was enjoying herself when she ran into the devil and that devil wasn't wearing Prada. In fact, none of the people in that club were wearing Prada, Candice was the only one and she stuck out like a sore thumb.**_

"You must be the desperate mother! Honey, it's obvious that Cody and Becky are a thing, you could practically be their mother," one of the ladies said as she nudged Candice. Candice turned to the short young blonde woman and she stared down at her.

Before saying anything, Candice turned to look at Becky, who was laughing from the corner of the club. Next to Becky, Cody's hands were all over her and a group of young beautiful people were surrounding the two. It was the beautiful club and Candice felt uninvited and left out.

 _ **Candice opened her eyes and everything was no longer a glitzy party, it was all an embarrassing blur to her.**_

Instead of even saying anything to the beach-blonde woman, she simply walked away with her pride. Except, the young drunk blonde woman wasn't finished. "My friend Becky told me how big of a bitch you are! Like grow up, this isn't your playground old woman," she shouted at Candice.

Candice wasn't nearly as drunk, due to the fact that the club only served cheap alcohol that she would never dare put in her fine-wine and luxurious cocktail loving system. Candice had a full drink in her hand that she herself payed for and she sure wasn't going to drink it, but she didn't want to waste it.

 _ **Like that 12 dollar drink, she also payed for her 300 dollar Prada heels and purse... something every single young person in that club couldn't afford to say. Candice didn't feel so bad for herself now, she was never excluded, she just was part of another far more exclusive club.**_

Candice stared at the beach-blonde tramp for less than a second and Candice didn't hesitate to throw her full cup of alcohol at the blonde woman's face. "AHH, YOU BITCH!" the young woman yelled as she wiped her eyes.

Cody saw from the corner and he ran to intervene, but by then Candice was already walking away. Becky wasn't going to let Candice get away with it. Candice felt a hand roughly grab her bun and it was Becky's hand. Candice pushed her off and she pulled her orange hair right back.

The club was thumping and they were all surrounding this cat-fight, Cody couldn't even step in because of the crowded area. "You f*ckin' whore," Becky yelled as she speared Candice onto the nearby couch.

"F*ck you and your ugly hair," Candice would yell as she try'd getting Becky off of her. "Get off," she yelled continuously as Becky grasped onto her hair. Candice slapped Becky hard, which threw Becky off the loop. She gave her one last elbow and she walked out, while the young crowd in their 20's cheered on.

 _ **Sadly, at 20, this was the most exciting thing that their young little souls have witnessed. Candice's bun fell into just wavy hair, but she preferred her hair that way and her Prada heels were still just as shiny.**_

* * *

 _ **Minutes later, Candice found herself in the same cab with Cody. He ran after her and he insisted on taking the same cab with her.**_

"That was crazy, but damn, you showed her," Cody jokingly said as he waited for Candice to respond.

Candice chuckled, but she didn't say much afterwards. The cab was silent as they drove past the Bronx Zoo, which brought back memories for Candice.

 _ **And on 2137 Boston Road Candice cried like a baby. She would never cry in front of anybody, but Cody had already practically seen all of her embarrassing sides that night. Plus, he's already seen her cry, that's how they met.**_

"F*ck," Candice cried as she buried her face in her hands. "You're right, this is about Becky! It's about my ex-husband too, it's about my friend getting f*cking engaged! It's about society having this f*cking image engraved in our minds, I'm not married and I rarely see my son now, I'm a train-wreck in clubs that reek of 20 year olds, I drink alcohol like a man according to men, I get in fights with girls 2 decades younger than me... what the hell is my life," Candice cried out as she rested her head back.

 _ **Cody didn't know what to say, he usually always had something to say, but he just didn't understand the predicament Candice was in. It was too real and raw, he was too inexperienced to understand.**_

Candice wiped the tears away and she forcibly laughed as she shook her head, "I remember taking Brooklyn to the Zoo over here. I remember everything, even the cologne my husband would wear when we would drive over here, Brooklyn would get more and more excited the closer we got to the entrance of the zoo... and now, this is my life," Candice said as she opened a window to let the fresh air distract her.

Cody put his hand on her shoulder, but he still didn't say anything. "I'm so much better than this, I can't believe I'm lowering myself to this low," Candice continued saying as the winds brought nostalgic feelings that blew her hair dramatically.

"I'm sorry! You're far better than this, I shouldn't have invited you! But what are your plans, it's not too late," Cody told her, hoping she'd spend the night at his place.

Candice had one thing in mind, "Actually, I have a friend to see," Candice responded, referring to Michelle.

* * *

 _ **Back at my apartment, I was reminded that although I wasn't confidently sure about a wedding, I was deeply sure of Jack.**_

Michelle invited Ashley and Torrie over, she wanted them to get to know Jack a little more. The 4 of them ate in and they watched old 90's movies as they bonded, which made Michelle happy.

Their was a knocking at the door and Michelle ran to it, only to find Candice standing alone in the cold night with a bottle of wine in her hand. "I'm sorry," Candice whispered as she waited outside. Michelle smiled and Candice walked in, that's all it took for the two to get back on track.

"You're lucky we have leftovers," Michelle told Candice as she closed the door behind her. Candice stuck out her hand for Jack to shake, "Jack I wanna know you better! Don't worry, you'll know more of me, Michelle will hopefully tell you about me," Candice jokingly said as she sat at the table with the rest.

Jack laughed, "Oh, believe me, she has! She talks about all you girls all the time," Jack said to the 3 women as he opened up the wine Candice had set down.

Michelle watched from the doorway and she felt oh so lucky and happy.

 _ **We were all screwed up and we would never fit into this society, we couldn't live this perfect life or plan this perfect wedding... but the magical moments, oh how real they were! I mean, look at me, exactly one year after getting divorced, I was engaged again.  
**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Dwayne Johnson, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Brock Lesnar, and Jack Swagger.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On November 7, 2015**


	10. Yay For You, But Yay For Me Too

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 10: Yay For You, But Yay For Me Too**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **New York City can surprise you at any second, but the call I got on the morning of the first week of November was the biggest surprise yet. Mark called me to tell me that he had returned to the city a couple of days ago.**_

The two met up outside of Mark's neighborhood, they went for a quick soft pretzel at the vender around the corner. "See, I knew that goodbye we had 6 months ago wouldn't be the last one," Mark told her, with that same voice she just loved hearing.

"Of course I knew that too, I mean, who the hell leaves this city for anything else! I mean we all say we will once in a while, but we don't actually ever mean it, this is New York honey," Michelle exclaimed as she laughed along with him. A laugh they hadn't shared in what seemed to be forever.

Mark nodded and his laugh soon changed into a serious tone. "So anything new with you? You're Michelle, something is always going on in your life," Mark teased as he waited for her to respond.

 _ **I didn't know whether or not to tell him that I was engaged. If he were just a friend I would gladly share the news, but this man wasn't just a friend.**_

Michelle hesitated as she shook her head, she didn't want to say 'no', because she didn't want to lie to her best friend. "Well, what about you," Michelle asked. After all, Michelle already knew that he was probably still with Victoria and nothing else could really shock her, not even if he told her that he also happened to be engaged.

Mark cleared his throat and he adjusted his maroon-red beanie, "You won't believe this, but Victoria and I are actually expecting a baby... the due date is in about 3 months or so," Mark revealed to Michelle.

 _ **I felt like I was just hit by some car, my heart turned upside down and I didn't know why. Maybe it was because I just couldn't see Mark as being a father, especially because he told me that he would never want to be a father or maybe it's because I had this crisis that involved me wanting to have a baby with Mark sometime in our past.**_

Michelle turned to him and she smiled, "Wow! I mean, wow! That's big news... well you win... and by the way, I'm engaged, but thank you for stealing my thunder," Michelle jokingly said as she nudged his arm. But she wasn't joking, a lot of emotions were bubbling and crashing inside of her.

"Who's the guy," Mark asked. Mark also had a lot of emotions in him too, especially after hearing that his ex-wife was engaged exactly a year after getting divorced from him. The two were both just shocking each other left and right.

Michelle didn't hesitate to answer, "Jack! The guy I told you about when we first met. We ran into each other and we realized that maybe we belong together... and so we're engaged," Michelle lovingly said about her fiance as she cuddled into her ex-husband's arm.

"Maybe?" he uttered with a doubtful chuckle.

Michelle looked up, "No actually, not maybe! I'm sure about it, I'm positive, I'm confident, I'm thrilled actually," Michelle replied as she let go of his arm.

 _ **I wanted Mark to be sure about it too, because I really cared about his opinion. After all, we did both sink in the same marriage ship in the past and I didn't want to sink again... with him watching on the sidelines with his happy family.**_

Mark suddenly seemed to be so far away from a woman he called the 'love of his life' and then later 'best friend'. "Victoria, look who I ran into," Mark exclaimed to the mother of his future child as she stood from the staircase of their apartment. Victoria waved to Michelle with a smile and a full belly of life.

Michelle waved back and she then turned to Mark, "I better go, but I'm glad you're back," Michelle told Mark as she walked away. A simple hug and one last glance at Victoria's baby bump was all that Michelle needed to know that she and Mark were no longer the same.

 _ **Seeing happy pregnant Victoria and Mark's new paternal side really made me feel something, I just didn't know what it was. I could either be an 'Alanis Morissette' about the situation or I could be an 'Adele' about it.**_

* * *

 _ **'Their is no in-between' is what they say, but I was in between the 'Alanis Morissette' and the 'Adele' about the situation. I called up the girls and I announced my wedding day, or at least the month.**_

"I know when my wedding is going to be! April, a spring wedding, right before Summer comes along for the easy-breezy fun," Michelle exclaimed as she watched the 3 women sit down at the table.

Candice and Ashley looked at each other, they weren't fully on board, but they trusted the decision and they supported by showing a smile. "Easy-breezy? It won't be easy-breezy just to let you know," Candice couldn't help but say.

Torrie on the other hand, jumped right up with joy. "Oh my god! What day, or what week, beginning of April or late April," Torrie asked as she searched for a ring.

Michelle saw Torrie's eyes wandering around her ring finger, "No ring, no ring yet! But that's not important, the important thing is that now I can actually start planning this wedding," Michelle told Torrie with delight.

"Hmm, no ring yet! What a groom," Candice sarcastically uttered. Michelle carried on as if she didn't hear.

 _ **I was being mature like Adele, by not bringing up Mark and making the day about him and his baby. But at the same time, I was being an Alanis Morissette about it by being passive-aggressive and all of a sudden coming up with a wedding date for April.**_

"So what about you guys," Michelle asked as she looked over the menu.

Ashley shook her head, "Nothing! And by the way, we're not wearing matching bridesmaid's dresses! We're not f*cking Destiny's Child, we can't pull off matching shit," Ashley notified Michelle as she laughed. Ashley slipped Dwayne right under the rug, she hadn't told them about him yet and she wasn't planning on anytime soon.

Candice turned to Torrie, "Well nothing's going on with me! My life's still a mess, but what about you Torrie," Candice asked Torrie as she too looked over her menu.

 _ **Both Candice and Ashley were hiding a stain on the carpet with some obvious rug. Candice never told us about Cody and Ashley never told us about Dwayne.**_

Torrie was overwhelmed with joy and she sure got the women's attention. "Well, my article comes out today! Well, the magazine, but my name is even on the front cover... it's in small print and it's in the bottom corner, but it's there," Torrie notified them.

Ashley smiled, "Haven't read it yet, but the issue came in my mail today, I'll make sure to read it later," Ashley promised Torrie.

"Thank you! You know, I'm shocked none of you have anything else going on in your life! Michelle you always have at least two problems going on and Candice, really, nothing to share," Torrie questioned them as she went to order.

* * *

 _ **Later that day, Ashley went over to Dwayne's for a little sexual escapade. It seemed like they would always just cruise on his bed after finishing, but Dwayne's life was calling and he wanted Ashley out the door as quickly as possible.**_

Dwayne caught his breath after a good hour of sex and then quickly got up afterwards, "Hey, my friends are coming over any second now! So you should probably leave," Dwayne told her as he put on a t-shirt.

Ashley didn't think he was being serious, after all, he's never kicked her out of his place in the long weeks of them sleeping together. Inside she was freaking, hoping he'd tell her to stay instead for some mingling with his cool basketball friends, but instead he shoved her towards the bathroom.

 _ **Ashley was beginning to feel like a dirty hooker, not because she was sleeping around with this man, but because he just pushed her away as if she were some shameful prop in his secret life that nobody knew of.**_

"Hey Dway! You up there," a man's voice called out as he and his posse got closer and closer to the bedroom's door. The footsteps of the men could be heard as they walked up the stairs, their muffled laughs also rang in the ears of the secret lover's.

Dwayne rushed to put on his clothes, but putting on some gym shorts wasn't too hard. Ashley on the other hand, had a long way to get ready. Dwayne could tell Ashley didn't know what to do, he grabbed her by the waist and he pushed her into the bathroom. "Sshhh, just sneak out through the back or something! I'll call you or you call me, but not today," He whispered to her as he threw her stuff in the bathroom too.

"I'll be out there! Damn, let me just get ready," Dwayne yelled to his friends. The bedroom door was locked and he was very grateful for that.

They knocked just to mock him, "You mean get 'unready'! Turn off your porn and come out," They yelled as their laughs faded away.

 _ **Being thrown into the bathroom and being kicked out of a man's place is the lowest of the lows. That's when you know, that you're a whore... or at least considered a whore by him.**_

* * *

 _ **On the other side of New York, Torrie went over to Punk's place. She wanted to get some good friend to friend quality time, plus, Brock was out of town for a business trip.**_

"So, where's your man," Punk asked Torrie as he gave her a welcoming hug.

Torrie walked in and sat on his couch, "He's off on a business trip! Where's your woman... I mean, your women," Torrie asked as Punk sat next to her.

"What's that supposed to mean? I don't sleep around just to let you know, I enjoy sexual intercourse, but that's not my life 24/7," Punk notified her as he shrugged.

Torrie laughed, "Okay, I'm not saying that is! However, time after time I see a different woman walk out of your apartment," Torrie teased him about.

Punk got up abruptly, "What's the deal? I judge you for obsessing over love and romance, you get mad... but then you judge me for having sex! How hypocritical," Punk abruptly called her out on.

 _ **Punk was right, Torrie was right too. The both had different views, something that's always acted as the fire between these two.**_

Torrie chuckled, "Oh my god, calm down! I was just joking, you know I don't judge you! I used to and you did too, but that's what makes us good friends, we're complete opposites, yet we share and listen to our distinct problems," Torrie reminded him.

Punk shook his head and turned away, "Torrie, I f*cking can't stand love and the monogamous relationship shit, but I always sit down to listen to your bullshit problems! For the sake of god, open your eyes, Brock obviously is busy living his life and you hold no part in that life of his... it's obvious and it's always the same with you, you give it your all and you expect him to do the same and then you cry about it, yet you stay with him... but he doesn't and I don't think he ever will, hate to break it to you," Punk let it all out as he walked to his kitchen.

 _ **Punk spoke the truth, some hated him for that, including Torrie when she first met him. However, the harsh honesty from a tattooed man's point of view grew on her over time... this time however, it was a little to harsh and honest.**_

Torrie followed him into the kitchen, "You don't judge! You just judged me right now! Brock loves me and yes I stick by him, but maybe it's because I believe something good will come out of it," Torrie yelled back.

"Oh please! You judge me too, don't bullshit me! You flirt with me and you try to get with me, but then you f*cking take off with your old boyfriend and then forget about me! You never bother to hear about my problems, cause in your mind they're all silly," Punk roared as he threw his frustrated hands in the air.

Torrie turned to him, "Because I'm uncomfortable with a mid-30 year old man bringing a new chick every day to sleep with! I've heard that story a million times and quite frankly, I don't know what else to tell you," Torrie admitted as she walked away.

"Well I've heard your story a million times too, but I still bother to care! Some 30 year old single hopeful woman, living life to the fullest with her girlfriends even though her dating life is a mess... it's called Sex And The City and I f*cking hate that show, never thought I'd be friend's with some Carrie Bradshaw bitch, yet here I am trying," Punk yelled as he watched Torrie walk out of his apartment. "Oh and at least I have women who bother to actually come to my apartment, when's the last time I've seen your Brock Lesnar come around," Punk yelled.

Torrie walked away and she didn't bother to get the last word in.

 ** _Punk wasn't a fan of love, while Torrie wasn't a fan of truth._**

* * *

 _ **Candice didn't want to hear the 'unheard'. Like Cody uttering the word 'love' to her, it scared her and she wanted no part in it.**_

Instead of doing her shopping at _Barneys New York_ alone, Candice decided to take Cody with her. As her young wingman.

"You know, I really like this shirt, but it's too 'spring-like'! I want something that gives off a 'almost-winter, but still-fall' vibe, you know," Candice went on about as she put the 257 dollar blouse back away.

Cody didn't know anything about anything in that store, "I don't know actually! But do you know what I do know... is that I love you, I really love you and I've realized that," Cody insisted into her ear as he grabbed her hand.

Candice pushed him away, "Love? I think you mean that you 'really like me', but not love, come on," Candice told him as she kept looking around the store.

 _ **All Candice wanted was to shop at Barneys New York, but here she had a man wanting to buy her heart... which was not up for sale.**_

Cody stayed quite, he felt awkward, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to try. "Okay, maybe not love, but I want you to be my girlfriend," Cody asked her as he tried grabbing her hand again.

Candice cringed on the inside, "Girlfriend? I'm sorry, but I'm no girl and even then... no! I mean, this thing we have is just a friendship with benefits," Candice insisted as she took off to the dressing room.

 _ **Candice had no plans on putting up her heart for sale, not right now, maybe never really...**_

* * *

 _ **After booking a wedding planner, I told Jack, but I couldn't afford to tell anybody else... mostly because any second I could lose that wedding planner, quite frankly I literally just couldn't afford it.**_

Jack invited Michelle to his apartment, expecting them to just have a simple conversation. "I booked a wedding planner! Since our wedding is April, I mean, I know we still have about 5 months, but I don't want to do everything last minute," Michelle told him as she watched him go through his mail on the table.

He froze, "Michelle, how much is this wedding planner? I thought we agreed on nothing too big," Jack reminded her as he put the mail down.

Michelle shrugged, "Well, she charges about 150 an hour and I plan on meeting her maybe once a week... so about 3000 dollars in total... plus I guess the other expenses, like flowers and a dress and what not," Michelle said as she realized that didn't sound so good.

Jack took off his glasses and looked up at Michelle, "That is way too much! I understand some of the expenses, I mean, by all means spends thousands on a beautiful wedding dress... but don't over-spend on everything else, their needs to be a budget," Jack warned her about.

Michelle stayed silent, the kitchen stayed in silence. "Okay," she finally whispered.

 _ **So after only having the wedding planner booked for less than a few hours, I called her to cancel... again.**_

Michelle finally sat on her fiance's lap and she patted him on the back. "Hey, don't worry, I won't go crazy over this... at least I'll try. I'll cancel the wedding planner, I'll have Torrie help me out instead... but expect for my wedding dress to cost quite a lot... I'm thinking Vera Wang," Michelle teased Jack as she laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

Jack laughed and he subtly looked across the kitchen, where a ring waiting to be put on her finger hid. He was too nervous to show it to her, so the ring hid inside the jar, waiting to finally be put on her ring. Jack too had his fears.

 _ **I wondered, did Jack have fears about this too?**_

* * *

 _ **Down on the Lower East Side, Torrie rushed to a local newsstand to purchase her December issue of Elle.**_

"Hello mam, is this all you plan on purchasing," The guy at the counter said as he watched Torrie's innocent face light up with excitement.

Torrie nodded, "Yes, just this," Torrie said as she put her money on the counter. While waiting for him to scan the item, she couldn't help but to show off a little. "I actually wrote a little article in here, see my name's even on the front cover!"

The bald man chuckled and nodded in approval, "Is that so! Well, the least I can do is give to you for free... because I don't read those fashion magazines," He admitted as he handed Torrie the 5 dollar bill she gave to him.

"Oh, I'm sure somebody in this fashion obsessed city will read it, but thank you," Torrie said as she happily took the magazine with her. "Have a good one mam," the bald man said.

Before Torrie could leave, a woman stopped her, "Hey, I have the magazine right here! Now that I know it's you, I'll gladly read it... I usually just look at the pictures of the models," The woman with the heavy Brooklyn accent admitted as she smoked her cigarette.

 _ **Torrie usually hated cigarettes and newsstands were always infested with that smoking smell, but she didn't mind this time. In that small little corner of such big city, Torrie felt adored by her 'fans'.**_

"I'll read it too, I don't mind spending a couple dollars," The man in line said, "As long as you sign it," he added. Sooner than later, three other people wanted her to sign their copy and Torrie felt the love.

Torrie wanted to call Brock to tell him about the moment, but she remembered that he was away on a business trip... but that didn't dim her star. She called Michelle, Ashley, and Candice. Gushing over it with them instead, but in the back of her mind... she also wanted to gush over it with Punk.

* * *

 _ **Ashley felt far from adored. After finally getting herself dressed, she sneaked out for the backdoor in hopes that Dwayne's friends wouldn't catch her.**_

She quietly unlocked the door and out she went, but her sweater's pocket got caught on the door handle. "Hey, woah! Who is this lady," one of the guys said as he checked Ashley out.

Ashley was mortified, but she waved with an awkward smile. "Hello, how are you," She said, but he didn't buy.

"Is Dwayne f*cking you and not telling us! Well, hey, come and join the party," He insisted as he grabbed Ashley by the arm.

 _ **Ashley was petrified, but she secretly wanted to join the little housewarming party. She was secretly wanting to meet Dwayne's cool friends.**_

Dwayne froze, "Ashley," Dwayne uttered as he moved uneasily on the couch.

Ashley chuckled to ease the uncomfortable tension, "I was invited, by your friend over here," Ashley said as she awkwardly walked to the nearby stool.

"Yeah man, don't worry! Are you two like banging, because I'm sure this chick isn't the only one... knowing Dwayne, I'm not surprised he didn't tell us! You two are secret lovers aren't you," He asked as he handed Ashley a beer.

Ashley ignored the comment and she sipped her beer away. Dwayne turned back to look at her, but she didn't even give him one glance.

 _ **The two weren't technically in a relationship and Ashley understood that they were simply just having sex with no commitment. However, a woman has feelings and her's were unfortunately hurt.**_

* * *

 _ **Candice earlier rejected Cody's idea of her being his girlfriend, but she wanted to make it up to him by at least showing up to the club he mentioned over at the Meatpacking District.**_

She rolled up in the cab, looking out, with the same bun she wore to the previous club the two went to at the Bronx. Near the entrance, Cody stood, with Becky only feet away from him. Although the two weren't talking, they obviously had many mutual friends... all young and oh so smooth.

All laughing with drinks in their hands, even Becky seemed nice on that night... so Candice had no reason to show her up and ruin that fun for the group.

 _ **Candice was over the silly Becky rivalry, she was over Cody too. She never had feelings for him anyway, in reality she just enjoyed his comfort in a time when she was so empty and in need of it.**_

"Actually, can you take me to Wu Liang Ye instead. It's in West 48th Street," Candice told the cab driver as she continued to watch Cody through the window.

Candice felt like jumping out of the cab to join the group for a raving time, but she needed to let go of that unrealistic image. "F*ck I need to fix myself... on my own," Candice reassured herself as the cab drove away from the club.

 _ **She sure needed help, but maybe a young guy like Cody wasn't the little pill she was desperately in need of. Maybe, only she could help herself out and only she could work on herself for the better.**_

* * *

 _ **After spending my day looking at wedding dresses on Google, I headed to Mark's apartment for a little dinner thing he had invited me to.**_

"The food smells nice," Michelle told Victoria as she sat across from her at the table.

Victoria smiled, "Thank you! I've just recently started cooking and so far I haven't burned our kitchen," Victoria joked about as she laughed.

"Oh, yeah, I would probably burn the whole city trying to cook," Michelle jokingly teased back, but she wasn't exaggerating either.

After a couple more laughs, forced ones, the room went silent. They ate and from time to time you could hear their eating utensils hit their plates as they put them down for a drink.

 _ **It was an uncomfortable situation, it's tough being friends with your ex-husband and his new woman... well it wasn't, until I found out they were expecting a child, then suddenly I couldn't behave normally around them.**_

"You know, I'm so happy for you two! I just find it really shocking, but nonetheless happy," Michelle told them as she smiled.

Victoria held onto her belly, "Yeah, I mean, even we still find it pretty miraculous, but here we are 3 months away from having the little thing," Victoria said with this sweet maternal radiance coming out of her.

Mark interrupted, "What's even more shocking is that you're headed down the aisle again... this time with Jack," Mark admitted as he chuckled.

 _ **Mark obviously had a problem with the news of Jack and I marrying, but I turned the other cheek.**_

Michelle forcibly laughed, "Okay, funny! Anyway, any baby names, do you know the gender yet," Michelle asked, trying to change the subject, but also curious about these things.

Victoria shook her head, "Actually, we want to be surprised! As for names, well that's a bit tricky... we still haven't decided, a long list, yet we still have no idea," Victoria said as she laughed and held onto Mark's hand.

"When did you decide to finally give into Jack's words? From what I heard, he deeply broke you and you wanted nothing to do with him ever again, but apparently you're somehow deciding to marry him after his second proposal," Mark again added in.

Michelle had a bad taste in her mouth and it wasn't the food Victoria cooked up. "Well, I don't know Mark, maybe we can have that conversation for another time... Anyway, what about you two, any plans on marrying," Michelle asked.

 _ **Unlike the baby questions, I didn't want to hear their response on marriage, but I had to find a way to change the subject. I wasn't going to argue with Mark, not in front of his future baby's mother.**_

Mark jumped in to answer, "Why marry? We have a strong love and a marriage would just complicate that, the most important thing is love and we have that," Mark responded as he held onto Victoria's hand with a tighter grip. "I'm surprised you're even marrying again! I thought we learned something together from our marriage, you know, I just don't understand," Mark admitted.

Michelle wiped her mouth and she graciously got up, "You know, I have to go! Thank you so much for the dinner, it was lovely! I hate that you went there Mark, I tried not saying anything, but I should just leave instead," Michelle said as she shook Victoria's hand.

"And speaking of marriage! I'm actually leaving because I have wedding dresses to look at... Vera Wang to be specific," Michelle said as she headed for the door.

"Fancy, I like it! But this late," Victoria asked.

Michelle turned around and shrugged, "It's never too late! Plus, it's Vera Wang, I've been looking forward to this all day! Have a nice night you two, bye Mark," Michelle said as she closed the door.

 _ **In my mind, I knew I couldn't afford a baby... or a Vera Wang dress. But off I went, for a delusional night that I still seemed to believe in.**_

* * *

 _ **Torrie later went over to Punk's place again, she wanted to apologize... but mostly, she wanted somebody to hear her read her article out loud.**_

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, I need to not judge you for enjoying and having sexual intercourse! Your lifestyle is no less important than mine, we both are just different and that's fine," Torrie told Punk as she stood in front of his door with her magazine in one hand.

Punk chuckled, "It's fine! Just know that that's my life and your life is about romance and flowers and chocolates... and I used to hate people like you, but I've come to understand why some desire that," Punk replied as he opened the door for her to come in.

 _ **The two met halfway.**_

"Look, I need to be comfortable whenever you talk about sex... because I want you to talk about it with me, that's what friends are for! But you also need to understand my womanly point of view... which is why I'll be reading the article I wrote and you better listen, it came out today-," Before Torrie could finish, Punk pulled out the same exact December issue of _Elle._

"I know, it came out today! I went for a little walk around the block, got a hot-dog near the newsstand and remembered about your big day," Punk said as he gave her a smile.

 _ **Torrie felt something jump inside of her, it wasn't romantic feelings, she was just that happy to have such a great friend.**_

Torrie sat next to him and she opened the magazine to the page that held her article, "Okay, let me start reading and feel free to ask questions and do commentary," Torrie teased as she began to read word for word.

* * *

 _ **That same night, on the other side of the city. Ashley was swimming in uncharted territory with her f*ck-buddy. Dwayne was just there for sex and Ashley got that through her head, but she was beginning to feel a drag between the two. Sleeping with a Knicks player gave her confidence, but being the other woman he just sleeps around with and hides made her feel like shit.**_

Dwayne was a little drunk, he was surrounded by his closest, all whom were apart of the NBA world. Ashley watched from the corner, with a drink in her hand and an open ear to hear anything that went on in this world she's never been apart of.

"Hey sweet thing! I heard Dwayne's just banging you, with no strings attached! Maybe you can make the same deal with me," the man with the beanie said, another fellow teammate of Dwayne's.

Ashley turned around without giving him an answer.

"Oh come on, I'll f*ck you good," he said as he wrapped his hands around her waist. "Get the f*ck away from me," Ashley yelled as she pushed him away.

 _ **Seconds ago she was the invisible girl and now she was the center of attention, but not for good reasons.**_

The whole room turned to Ashley, but the man was smart enough to step away from Ashley to remain unnoticed. "I have to go, have a great time fellas," Ashley exclaimed, trying to act cool, calm, and collected.

Ashley felt like staying, but Dwayne obviously didn't want her there from the start and she didn't fit in to begin with. The windows reflected a very dark night sky, so she had to go home anyway.

* * *

 _ **Under that same dark night sky, I felt so dark in a very light-white dress. It wasn't Vera Wang, because I was unaware that you had to make an appointment to purchase a dress from them. So I went to Kleinfeld Bridal on 110 West 20th Street.**_

Michelle stood in the white fancy room, where the hundreds of dresses surrounded her. One wedding dress caught her eye in particular, it was an ivory gown with no straps and it wrapped around her breast and hips perfectly, the wedding dress had beads of pearls that went down and faded into beautiful ruffles of silk. The back of the dress was cut and exposed her entire back, but it fell beautifully to the floor.

Michelle looked up and she felt infinite, or maybe the day full of surprises felt that way. All overwhelming and all so complicated.

"This one's is it, I can feel it," Michelle told the lady as she twirled in the white ivory beauty.

The lady smiled and put her hand over her heart, "Aww! Such a lovely unforgettable moment when a bride finds her dress! I'll be back, let me just run a total on your purchase," the lady with the blazer on said as she walked away to the back room.

 ** _I was far from lonely, yet I still had the fear of losing certain people. The more I thought about it, the more it suffocated me._**

"F*ck," Michelle said under her breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. Michelle cried out as her knees shook. She could hear herself thinking, but she couldn't feel anything. She was nauseous and instantly had to fall on her knees to catch a break.

"Oh god, what am I doing," Michelle cried as she sat in her puddle of tears with the dress still on her.

 ** _Underneath the starry night skies in a beautiful wedding dress, a tornado seemed to be rumbling inside of me with mixed emotions. I loved Jack and I wanted to marry him, but I feared the chances of me growing apart from them into a completely different life. Some having babies already like Mark and others getting married like me, it's something that should be celebrated... yet there I was crying in a 1,500 wedding dress._**

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Mark 'Undertaker' Calaway, 'Victoria' Marie Varon, Dwayne Johnson, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Jack Swagger.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On November 14, 2015.**


	11. The Truth Kills The Fairytale

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 11: The Truth Kills The Fairytale**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **Mornings for Torrie started fairly simple for her, but on this Sunday morning Punk surprised her and took her to an early-bird morning gallery his friend was hosting.**_

"I wanted to invite you as a way to make our friendship stronger, by the f*cking way," Punk told her as he walked along her side.

The two stopped once they reached the entrance. They waited in line with a ticket each in their hand, when suddenly some lady just had to question Punk. "Oh my god, Phil! I mean Punk, whatever you go by, I haven't seen you in forever," The woman said, who was maybe in her mid to late 30s and had pearls even in the morning hours along with her chic glasses and perfectly tailored pantsuit.

Punk moved uneasily as the woman approached him for a casual friendly kiss on the cheek. "Well, see you around," Punk said as he moved along.

"Who was that," Torrie asked.

Punk shrugged, "Oh just an old friend," Punk responded with no further details.

 _ **That woman wasn't just an 'old friend', she slept with Punk and she was the first woman Punk ever slept with on a daily occasion... but Torrie didn't need to know that of course.**_

"I really like that piece, you know Ashley would so love to be here," Torrie told Punk about as she got lost in the wonderful art pieces.

Punk laughed and grabbed her by the hand, "Oh no, we are not here for the f*cking art! My friend has a small room in the back of this place and we're going to have some raving fun, he throws these every now and then... he's like the not-so-great Gatsby... but still Gatsby, just on a lower level," Punk told her as the two walked through a splatter-painted hallway.

 _ **A surprise within a surprise.**_

The room was playing Rihanna on blast and the place was thumping, but even then it all seemed calm. Nobody was overly-drunk or even nearly drunk and the place wasn't crowded or stuffy, it was like a mature yet fun and hip raving party.

"Oh my god, I'm actually enjoying the vibe this place is giving," Torrie admitted as she looked around the small room. The women were practically all wearing flannels and glasses, while the men were in their beanies and hoodies, it was all very relaxing... little did she know, half of them were literally high on marijuana.

 _ **After about two hours, Torrie still seemed to have no idea she was surrounded by high people.**_

"I'm so high off this energy," Torrie exclaimed as she ate a piece of some carrot cake.

A woman put her hand on Torrie's arm, "Oh my god, you too? Isn't it great," she told Torrie as she walked away. "Yeah, I think you two are talking about two different highs," Punk told Torrie as he chuckled.

Torrie's phone rang, but she didn't hear it over the loud music... so Brock's phone calls went unnoticed.

* * *

 _ **Unlike Brock's phone calls to Torrie, Mark's phone calls to me did not go unnoticed. He called to meet up, for some apologizing, which he so needed to do.**_

Mark sat right next to Michelle on her couch, the same one they used to always sit on... even slept on a couple times.

"You were such an asshole, so I want to hear you apologize," Michelle reminded Mark as she smirked.

"Look, seriously, I really wanted to apologize! Everything I said about you getting married again... to Jack, well, that's all something I need to deal with. I just feel like you were destined to be with Jack, I mean your history together is quite something... and I was just feeling like I was some guy that you just kept to kill time with," Mark admitted.

 _ **Destiny, did I believe in it like Mark? Jack and I being together, sure that's destiny... but Mark having a baby with Victoria, for some reason I didn't think of that as destiny.**_

Michelle softly put her hand on the side of his face, "Mark, you meant a lot to me and you still do. We have a history too and I will never forget about you, hell, I even cried in my wedding dress... partially because of hearing that you and Victoria were expecting a baby. How do you think I feel about the fact that you and Victoria will be bringing some cute baby into this world," Michelle admitted too.

 _ **Maybe it was destiny, maybe it really does exist... even if it's not in your favor and I had to find a way to accept that.**_

"Oh come on Michelle, you never wanted to be a mother! But you did always want to be a wife and I knew that the second I met you in 2007... you made a hell of a good damn wife, you looked stunning on our wedding day and I'm sure you'll look stunning for your upcoming one... with Jack, he's a lucky guy," Mark said as the memories came flashing back.

Michelle blushed, "Thank you! You know what, I'm happy for you and Victoria! I'm sure you'll be an excellent father and Victoria is lucky too, she get's you to be the father of her baby... out of all people! You're funny and you're charming, you're nice and you're understanding, you're protective and even as a father I'm sure you'll still be fun," Michelle complimented him as she smiled just looking at his lovely face.

 _ **In that second, I realized I wasn't over Mark... it took me that long to realize. I worked so hard to get over him after divorcing him and somehow, I was back at square one. However, Mark was obviously not over me either, and although it may sound a little evil...that made me feel a little better.**_

While nearly getting lost in each other's eyes, Michelle quickly shot the moment down. "Oh, I actually have a breakfast I have to meet the girls for," Michelle abruptly said as she got up from the couch.

"Totally, I actually have to take Victoria to a doctor's appointment, but see you later," Mark said as he went in for a goodbye hug.

 _ **In reality, I did have plans to meet the girls... but not for another 2 hours. So it wasn't really a 'breakfast', but more like 'brunch'. Either way, I had to break up the moment and any ounce of feelings I still had for Mark... Jack was my man and I had to let that sink in, while Victoria was Mark's co-parent and I had to let that sink in too, somehow.**_

* * *

 _ **Candice had both a marriage and a son... yet getting that all back was something she never expected. On that Sunday morning, Candice's lawyer called to tell her that her child custody battle had ended.**_

"Wait, wait, what do you mean it's over? I'm pretty sure we had a long way to go," Candice asked.

The lawyer threw her hands in the air for celebration, "Well, the way was long! But the father, Wade, decided to drop the case, as long as you too want to drop the case," she asked Candice.

Candice smiled and she couldn't help but to hug her lawyer. "Of course! Oh my god, thank god! Okay, well when can I see my son again," Candice asked eagerly.

"Today actually and for the next two weeks non-stop, Wade felt guilty that he kept Brooklyn away from you for nearly two months. After that however, you'll get him for 3 days and Wade for 4 days, then it flips, you get him 4 days the next week and Wade 3 days, it's a cycle," The lawyer explained as she showed Candice the paperwork.

 _ **Candice felt a heavy weight fall off of her, it was the 'best feeling' and the 'best news', she told me during our morning phone conversation.**_

"Well, hell, he owes me! I didn't see my son for two damn months, Wade has the money, therefore he has the power over me... I just couldn't do anything about it," Candice explained as she signed the legal papers.

"But, the past is the past and I'm just looking forward to making some fun get-together bonding plans with Brooklyn," Candice gushed about to her lawyer.

* * *

 _ **And on a much lighter subject, yet harder at the same time ironically... 'hard' referencing to Dwayne's d*ck and the desires he had to sleep with Ashley. After the embarrassing party, Ashley didn't call afterwards and she didn't pick up his calls whenever he wanted some sexual intercourse, she was avoiding him, hoping he'd disappear like her pride did on the night that he shamefully made her feel like shit.**_

Ashley was back to using the regular locker-rooms, which she didn't mind and she was smart enough to only come into the gym on hours she knew Dwayne wouldn't be there.

"Hey, caught you! You didn't think you could avoid me, did you," Dwayne jokingly said as he walked up from behind Ashley. He held her by the waist and he pulled her in, but Ashley walked forward and turned to him.

"Look, just back up! This was just sex and it was only sex, I have the right to ditch you, without having to give you an explanation... so just hush," she demanded as she walked away.

Dwayne followed her, "I really wanna f*ck you! I honestly thought we were having a good time, what's the problem," Dwayne asked, having no clue to Ashley's feelings.

"It was the party! Look, I get it, we're not in a relationship, I'm not your girl, I don't expect you to introduce me to your parents... but don't hide me from your friends like you're embarrassed or something," Ashley cried out.

 _ **In that moment, he realized what she knew and she realized what it was she wanted him to realize. Just like Dwayne, Ashley was also hiding him from us. It was a vise-versa scenario in which both were guilty.**_

"What the hell am I saying, I've never told my friends about you either, I'm such a f*cking hypocrite! Look, just forget this ever happened! I mean, maybe we can have sex another time... but not right now and I don't want to argue, because only couples do that shit," Ashley told him as she waved goodbye in his face.

Dwayne chuckled, "You don't have to tell them, I don't really care... but apparently you do, so I'm inviting you to a house-party I'm throwing, as a way to make it up to you and maybe you can blow me in the bathroom or something," he suggested as something peaked inside of his gym shorts.

Ashley panicked, "Oh my god, hide that! That's rock solid," Ashley whispered as she threw her towel on it. "I'll see you there... and please hide that," she told him as she walked away.

* * *

 _ **As I sat for brunch, waiting for the girls, I discovered that nothing could surprise me more than how much I've been surprising myself lately, not even the woman with two whole human being babies who sat at the table next to me surprised me.**_

Michelle tried looking over the menu before the girls could join her, but she had a war in her heart. Torrie and Candice walked in together, they searched for Michelle and finally found her troublesome.

"My child custody battle has ended," Candice exclaimed to Michelle as she sat at the table. "That's right! I'm seeing my son for the first time in two months and I already have the entire day planned," Candice said as she picked up the menu.

"Oh my god! That's amazing, finally he stopped giving you a hard time," Michelle responded after lifting her head up.

Torrie shook her head and stopped her, "What's going on? See, I'm getting better at reading people and I can tell you're upset," Torrie questioned.

 _ **I could tell them or I could keep it in, however, I did need somebody to talk to about my feelings. God knows Jack and Mark fall very last on my list and I know it's wrong, but dear lord I am a woman in love, not some goddess with perfectly arranged feelings.**_

Michelle opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out, she literally looked at them with her mouth open for a couple of seconds before finally coming clean. "Okay, Mark's back and he's expecting a baby with Victoria... and I think I have feelings for him... again, and I know I practically set aside like 3 whole months just to get over him, but apparently I'm still not over him! I'm such a bad fiancee and such horrible human being... but I'm sorry, I don't know what to do and my heart breaks for Jack, who I still love very much by the way," Michelle rushed the words out as she rested her head on her palm.

"Well, as long as you haven't done anything with Mark... don't tell Jack or Mark about your feelings! Their feelings, we all have them and we push them aside all the time, we're not hurting anybody by keeping what only exists within ourselves," Candice advised.

Torrie jumped in right away, "Well the person holding back the feelings and pushing them aside is being hurt, it's not healthy! Isn't life about living and loving, even through trial and regretful mistakes," Torrie argued passionately as she waited for Michelle to respond, but Michelle didn't.

Instead Candice did, "You know Torrie, some people are just so broken and frail that they no longer can break any more and keeping feelings inside isn't that much more damaging than the other shit the person has been through... I'm at a point in my life, where I'd rather hurt myself than anybody else. I'm being serious," Candice admitted.

 _ **Candice had feelings for Cody, she developed them over time and didn't realize it, or it didn't want to at least. What was just fun, was now real. She feared hurting him and that's why she stayed away from him, the problem wasn't about being with a younger man anymore... it was much deeper than that now.**_

Candice paused and she figured, the least she can do is tell them about Cody. "Okay, I've been seeing this guy for about 2 months! He's 25 and he is part of the cast of my musical, I was feeling down and he was there for me... for fun I thought, but now I really do think I 'like' him! Except that when he wanted to be my girlfriend, I pushed him away, I didn't mean to, I'm just not ready quite frankly," Candice told them as she fixed her hair in the travel-sized mirror she carried, which was to take away from the vulnerability of the situation.

"Oh my god! Candice, don't be afraid, put your divorce behind you! It's time you move on like Wade did," Torrie advised as she put her hand on Candice's arm.

Candice lightly took Torrie's hand off, "Yeah, no! Right now, I am focused on Brooklyn! I guess the timing just didn't work out! Now that I think about it, it's all about timing and he just happened to be there at the right time, when I needed him and now I don't, I have my son," Candice reassured herself.

 _ **Candice was pushing Cody away again, within seconds she flipped just like that. Meanwhile, I was being pulled in by Torrie's words and maybe it was time for me to move on too. Jack and I were getting married and that was my love life**_

"I'm over Mark! Even if I'm not, that's what I'm believing and that's what I'm saying from here and on! Oh and Candice, give the guy a chance," Michelle abruptly picked back up on the conversation after going dead silent for minutes.

 _ **Torrie's phone rang, but she let it ring and soon the call was on her history log, but she was focused on the present. Something Punk taught her, a good friend and they had a good time... something she couldn't say about Brock unfortunately.**_

"Are you not gonna get that," Michelle asked as her eyes ran across the phone screen. ' _Missed Call from Brock'_ read the phone screen. Torrie pushed it away and smiled. "It's nobody... Okay, It's Brock and I purposely don't want to answer him! We didn't have a fight or anything, but Punk invited me for a small cruise on a boat by the Wall Street pier and I kinda wanna go... no offense to Brock, but our relationship isn't the movie one I imagined when getting back together with him," Torrie admitted as she hid her phone in her purse.

Candice chuckled, "Oh 'miss perfect' over here! You're gonna have talk to him, you do realize that right young blonde ghandi," Candice teased as she finally looked over the menu, for real this time.

"I'm gonna talk to him," Torrie insisted. From the door came Ashley, "Speaking of talk, I have to tell you all something," Ashley said as she walked over while waving to them.

 _ **If Dwayne had the nerves to invite her to a party, with all his big-time NBA friends in attendance... Ashley figured she could tell her 3 middle aged friends over at some Manhattan cheap-priced morning diner.**_

"I've been f*cking some hot _Knicks_ player and I've been hiding that from you all out of shame! I met him at the gym and it's the best sex I've had, call me a whore or call me a woman who happens to be alive," Ashley blurted out with no hesitation.

Candice dropped the menu, "Well that's something I don't believe! _Knicks_ as in Manhattan's basketball team, the ones who play for the actual NBA," Candice asked and Ashley simply nodded. "Wow, well I thought me sleeping with some 25 year old was hot... but you win," Candice added.

"Well, you missed a lot... but apparently we did too, literally! How the hell do you find a _Knicks_ player and not tell us about it! I'd be bragging all over town," Michelle teasingly said as she made room for Ashley to sit.

Torrie raised her arms up in the air, "Okay, from now on! We are telling each other everything, no more secrets, even if their shameful, we share everything and we try our hardest not to judge," sweet Torrie demanded as she took the leading role of the group.

 _ **She was right and we never again hid anything. Not our fears or our raunchy secrets or our unfairtyle feelings, no shame and no judgement was our motto in the city of fears and secrets.**_

"Okay, well, let's order," Michelle finally said as this time she actually did look over the menu.

* * *

 _ **Candice wasn't expecting on seeing Cody ever again, except, of course they worked together.**_

Cody approached Candice cautiously, but nonetheless, he went right up to her. "Hey, I thought it was kind of f*cked up of you to just ditch me like that the other night! I get that you don't want to be my girlfriend, but you don't have to ignore my messages and calls, I thought I was you friend and I was always there for you," Cody confronted Candice about.

Candice chuckled, but she could tell he was being serious, so as the older one she got serious too. "You're young, you have all your friends and all these young girls in your life, you'll be fine," Candice told him.

"So I was just your young hot stud, who you only used when you needed it in times of your pain! Whatever, but you're gonna have to eventually open your heart up again... even if you were divorced and broken, even if you were scarred and lost everything, which I guess 'I don't understand' right," Cody mocked as he walked away.

Candice grabbed him by the arm, "It's not like that, I still want to be friends! I just need time, my son is finally back in my life and I want to focus on that," Candice explained to him.

Cody turned around and looked her in the eye, "You're a grown woman, you have your friends and you have all these men that must want you, you have a son and you buy fancy expensive label clothing, oh and you live in some Park Avenue penthouse... you'll be fine! Thousands of people go through divorces, cut the bullshit and grow up," Cody gave it to her as he finally walked away.

 _ **Candice was only hurting herself and she was only depriving herself from the possibilities Cody had to offer, she couldn't use her divorce as an excuse anymore. She had her son back in her life now and she had the opportunity to rebuild her love life... but she wasn't ready and that was alright for her now.**_

Becky overheard and she just had to stick her nose in it. "Wow, how pathetic! Cody obviously has a major crush on you, I hate to admit it, but he does and he never shuts up about you! But go on, 'Miss. Too good for him', go on to your Park Avenue little penthouse and hide from your life because some man left you months ago," Becky dissed Candice, this time trying to actually help her in a way, or Cody for the most part.

Candice looked at Becky, but then she looked away. Without replying, Candice walked away.

* * *

 _ **If I couldn't tell Jack about Mark, the least I could do is talk to him about the marriage I once had with Mark. I opened an album of pictures and I reminisced to him about the old in my life, little did he know it was still very much part of my life.**_

"There I was, how naive, but how in love," Michelle admitted as she softly ran her finger across the picture of her and Mark on their wedding day.

Jack smiled, "Well, not naive anymore! You're wise now and so am I," Jack added in as he looked at the pictures with her.

 _ **We both were thinking about divorce already, well at least I was. Was I insane to test this wild roller-coaster all over again?**_

"I'm scared! I'm scared okay, I haven't talked to you about it! But I am constantly just stressing myself out about this," Michelle cried out as she slammed the album of pictures down.

Jack grabbed her by the face softly. "I'm scared too! I have my doubts, then again, I have my doubts about everything in life! We both think too much, it's not a bad thing... but it get's exhausting," Jack reassured her as he held onto her hand.

"I just feel so much pressure and I feel so confused, overwhelmed and it's all too much," Michelle whispered. "I don't know if I could do this! I can be with you and I want to be with you, but I don't know about this whole marriage thing, I just don't know," she came clean about.

Michelle got up and she left, she left everything and she knew she could possibly lose it all after this.

 _ **I could taste divorce, so I had to walk away. It was all because of some little light, A light that both ruined the fairytale for me and a light that still pulled me left & right- Left to Jack, but then Right back to Mark.**_

* * *

 _ **Ashley was in between the hot sex and the romantic love, being pulled left & right too. She was at Dwayne's cool house-party, but she realized that she was just the 'other woman'.**_

"Enjoying the party," A tall black man asked Ashley as he drank from his red cup of beer.

Ashley nodded and smiled. "Sure, but it could be better," she admitted as she looked over at Dwayne flirting with a gorgeous model-like woman.

The tall man pointed to Dwayne and the drop-dead gorgeous woman, "Those two are the ultimate couple! It's an on-and-off kind of relationship," he said about the two.

"I could tell! It's obvious their flirting and you can right away see a connection... it disgusts me," Ashley said.

The man laughed, "Well, don't worry, the woman isn't too bright, Dwayne's a great guy, but the man enjoys his sex and that's the reason why they always break up! She's insanely gorgeous though, has been in all types of magazines, I remember her telling me about her photo-shoot for Maxim," he told Ashley all about.

 _ **The truth was very much killing the fairytale. Not the average fairytale of course, but the one of a confident bold woman being the sexy mistress of some rich NBA player... it wasn't looking too bright now, or ever really.**_

The two watched as Dwayne's face turned red and as he playfully teased the beautiful lady. Sooner than later, Ashley's prettiest nightmare walked over to her.

"Oh my god, she's coming over here," Ashley exclaimed as she turned her face around to appear natural and uninterested in the life of these glitzy stars.

Her smile was perfect, too perfect to be true. She had these bright white teeth and her eyes seemed to sparkle even in the dimmest shades of light, which made Ashley hurl.

"Hey, Titus where's Andrew, Dwayne's telling me how he's still doing cocaine... and I want in, I'd figure you'd know where he'd be," The woman asked as she looked over at Ashley without a clue on who she was. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being rude! I'm Gretchen, do you do coke too," Gretchen asked Ashley.

Ashley shook her head, she was too intimated to even say anything to this bombshell woman who Dwayne seemed to love.

 _ **The woman didn't know she was talking to the very same person who was f*cking her on-and-off again love. Either way, the woman was winning, she had the sacred place in Dwayne's heart. Ashley simply thought, "At least I don't do cocaine".**_

* * *

 _ **The truth killed some other fairytale too, but it was really the reality of the two people speaking up.**_

Torrie finally went over to Brock's office, she tried looking for him at his loft, but he wasn't there. "So you're here! Sorry I haven't been taking your calls, I was just 'busy', but it's good that you're back, how was your business trip," Torrie asked. It was the first time she really didn't care.

Brock chuckled lightly, "Torrie, I'm a busy man, but apparently you are a busy woman too and I don't see this working," Brock admitted as he sat up in his high-power black leather office chair.

 _ **Torrie didn't know what to say, she was left speechless, but she knew she didn't want to cry over this breakup.**_

"I really was trying and you know I gave it my all! I was really hopeful for this second time around, but it just wasn't the same," Torrie told her now ex-boyfriend... for the second time

Brock got up for a hug, "It's all on me, I'll take the blame... but you pushed a little too hard too. There's nothing wrong with that though, it means you really want something and that's why I'm breaking up with you, I just don't think I fit in your life and you deserve to have what you want," Brock insisted as he hugged her tightly.

 _ **Torrie cried and she embraced the breakup, more than usual.**_

"Goodbye Brock," Torrie felt herself uttering, for the second time. This time, there was no rain and no Hampton's beach-house, just an office on the 17th level of an office building near Central Park and some of the chilly winds of November blowing her hair all over her crying face.

* * *

 _ **The truth killed Candice's faiytale a long time ago and she learned to accept that, but her son was still a huge part of her heart and without worrying about anything else, Candice enjoyed every second of her evening with her son.**_

Candice watched as Brooklyn dressed himself up, she was already dressed and everything else was already planned by her hours ago. "First, I was thinking dinner, whatever you want! And then, maybe a movie... don't worry, this is just what I have planned for today," Candice assured him.

"It's fine mom! I missed you... how have you been," Brooklyn asked.

 _ **The last time he saw his mother, she seemed to be on top of the world. Candice didn't know how to tell her own son that she in reality fell through the cracks within the 2 months in which he last saw her.**_

Candice shook her head, "I've been good! Better now, but I've been good," Candice responded or at least forced herself to.

Brooklyn smiled in joy, hearing that her mother was doing good, even though he worried and thought about her from time to time. "Well, that's good! I'm doing good too, my grades are great and I'm trying out for the soccer team at my high school," Brooklyn went on about. "How's your musical," He thoughtfully asked.

Candice paused, "Baby, I'm so proud! I know you'll make it by the way," Candice told him as she hugged him tightly. After a long pause, she finally answered. "My musical is doing good by the way, it's about to wrap up actually! But I'm still pulling off the lead role perfectly, it's tough, but your mom is pulling through," Candice lied about to her own son.

 _ **Candice lied, but she'd figure it was the only way to protect him from getting hurt. She didn't want her healed son to hear about her dark empty messy life.**_

"Let's go, the dinner is reserved and the movie starts right after that," Candice said as she grabbed her purse. She put her arm around her son's shoulders and off she went with him.

* * *

 _ **That same evening, Ashley had enough of the lies she was putting herself through. She saw how infatuated Dwayne was with that model beauty and she quite frankly didn't fit in that picture, other than being the 'other woman' he slept around with.**_

"I'm gonna leave," Ashley told Titus, the man who she spent the entire party talking to.

Ashley headed for the door, she looked back and gave one last glance to Dwayne and his woman as they flirtatiously chatted. "Don't worry, You're a rad girl too, call me... and I'll let Dwayne know that you don't want to see him ever again," Titus told her as he waved goodbye.

Ashley nodded and smiled, "Well off I go and thank you," Ashley told Titus, as she secretly wanted Dwayne to stop her or at least notice her leaving through the back door.

 _ **Ashley left through the back door, this time because she wanted to or at least because she realized she had to. In New York walking through an unknown neighborhood on a very late afternoon is probably never a good idea, especially if you're alone.**_

As Ashley closed the door behind her, she felt the chilly winds and they gave her goosebumps. She walked past the trashcans, when suddenly her goosebumps again appeared. A man slowly walking towards her put Ashley in fear and suspicion. The man walked faster and faster the closer he got to Ashley, he was breathing heavily and he was dressed in all black. He stomped his way to Ashley at this point.

"Give me your f*cking purse bitch," The man said as he blocked Ashley's way with his big chest.

Ashley trembled as this man stood over her, about 6 feet taller than her and about 100 pounds bigger than her. "Oh my god! Oh my god, okay, here you go, please just take it and leave," Ashley begged with her shaky voice.

The man grabbed the purse and he shoved Ashley against the wall, "If you say anything about this to anybody, I will f*cking find you and shank you," he threatened her as he pulled out a switchblade.

The tip of the sharp blade just barely touched Ashley's gut, "Please, please, please don't! I won't say anything, just don't, please," Ashley helplessly begged as she held her breath.

 _ **The man had Ashley's credit card and a couple 20's and her phone too, the rest was useless to him. Ashley's life hanged from a thread for a second.**_

The man heard a door open, so he ran off. Ashley was left shoved by the trash-cans, as she cried and held herself together with her own shaky scared hands. Ashley took off, she ran as fast as she could home. With no money for a cab or a phone to call anybody, she ran as fast as her feet could take her. Trembling as she helplessly searched for a familiar face, but nobody on the streets seemed interested in pausing for her.

 _ **Just another heartbreak in the city of dreams and just another mugging in the city of melting pots. Both were the ugly truth of this city, something you rarely hear about in the movies.**_

* * *

 _ **Torrie's day was surely filled with many ups and downs, but she kept riding the crazy November waves. According to her, "My friends give me that excitement I so need and Punk is one of those friends" she told me during our phone conversation later that night.**_

Torrie zipped up her jacket as she looked out at the beautiful waves crashing in such an odd peaceful way. "Wow, so your friend just let's you use his boat whenever," Torrie asked as the city's skyline lights reflected on the blue dark evening waters surrounding her and Punk.

Punk poured some champagne into her cup, "Here you go! And yes, I have rich friends... I mean my job actually pays well, believe it or not, that's just not my lifestyle," Punk admitted as he drank his cup of champagne.

"I could tell... you invited me to some cocktail party, in which I re-met Brock and Brock's pretty successful... too successful for me I guess," Torrie said as she took a sip of her champagne.

Punk laughed as he shrugged. Torrie could tell Punk didn't want to hear about Brock, so she let it go and moved on.

 _ **The boat sailed off feet away from the pier and Torrie felt her feelings for Brock leave too. He was in the past and she didn't have such a hard time moving on, she was literally moving on.**_

"This is fun, right," Punk said as he played some little music, _'Forever Young'_ played in the background. "Oh and that's Tim, don't worry, he won't eave-strap," Punk jokingly said as Tim laughed from the boat's steering wheel.

"You're a good friend and I hope I am too," Torrie told Punk under her breath as she hugged him. Punk didn't mind Torrie hugging him, after all, it was freezing and the hug was a friendly one. The peaceful sound of the waves gave them a calming feeling, even the ruckus of the city couldn't be heard from the boat. The night was beginning to get old, a beautiful dramatic dark sky arose in the background and the lights of the city kept the boat alive. However, the friendly bonding love between Punk and Torrie gave the boat a sweet rocking.

 _ **For that night, Torrie was simply riding the waves. Wherever they took her, she freely went along, with her friend Punk along for the ride.**_

* * *

 _ **After a 5 hour walk, well after an hour walk and a 4 hour shopping trip, I finally went back to Jack's place.**_

"Hey, I'm sorry, I just ran out and I didn't mean too! It's just a lot is going on and it's all overwhelming for me," Michelle told Jack as she hugged him.

Jack hugged her and he pulled her into his place without saying anything for a moment. "I'm scared too Michelle! I proposed over a decade ago and that didn't happen, next thing you know my life fell apart! Here we are, all over again and I'm scared that it might blow up in my face... but I know I'm marrying you and that makes it better," Jack reassured her as he pulled out the ring he's been keeping away from her for the past few weeks.

Michelle saw him pull it out and she gasped. "Here you go, this is for you! It's real and it's happening, we both need to stop fearing it, you never know, it might not be so bad... the past is the past, let's make our own version of a fairytale, even if we both know it really won't be a fairytale! Life in general isn't a damn fairytale," Jack said as he opened the ring box.

 _ **It was a Vera Wang ring, the diamonds were shiny, but so was this man and I saw potential. I was running away from this so-called sacred moment in a woman's life, but Jack always stuck by and he continued chasing.**_

"Apparently it's _Vera Wang_... that's how much I know you," Jack calmly whispered as he carefully put it on her ring finger.

Michelle got teary and she couldn't help but to let the moment finally set in. She really did feel 'engaged' now and it was happening, she was absorbing it all in. "This is really happening, us, getting married and I love it! I love it because I love you and I know we'll make it work, I'm not so afraid hearing that you're also afraid," Michelle admitted as she held onto his hand.

Jack shrugged, "I'm just as afraid, which is why, I planned a honeymoon for this December! There's a lot of pressure behind weddings, so I'd figure we can have a honeymoon before, just to do things differently in our own way," Jack suggested.

Michelle felt safe in his arms, she felt secure and she felt confident that this would all work out somehow.

 _ **Nothing much puts fear in this New York woman and a marriage wasn't going to be some big scary monster to me anymore. It wasn't the ring or the dress or anything else really, it was about trusting that the man you found really did belong with you and that he would fulfill all of your wildest dreams... even if he let's you down, you can know that you'll learn something and yes I had that thought in the back of my mind, but I still labeled this chapter a 'fairytale'.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ CM Punk, Mark Calaway, Dwayne Johnson, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Jack Swagger, Titus O'Neil, Brock Lesnar, and Brooklyn Barrett.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On November 28, 2015.**


	12. Having That 'Someone'

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 12: Having That 'Someone'**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 ** _Millions of people roam around this big island, yet having those few special people in your life seems to be harder than finding your favorite designer label on discount._**

After making her custom invitations, with the help of Torrie, she got to the family list... which was blank. "Okay, no big deal! Less people is good, trust me," Torrie insisted as she counted the invitations.

"15 people! I'm inviting 15 people from my side... how pathetic," Michelle cried out as she shook her head. "What about Jack, how many people did you count for him?"

Torrie looked over the list, "Uh... 60 people," Torrie uttered. "It's different though, I don't know him, but I'm guessing he's close to his family or maybe he just has a lot of connections," she tried reassuring Michelle.

 _ **Even my husband was more popular than me, who by the way, lost everybody in his life after moving from the city for over a decade.**_

"It's not the numbers that I care about... it's just all depressing, having no family to invite to your own wedding," Michelle helplessly told Torrie.

Torrie patted her, "Well, you have me and the girls! You have Jack too and you even have Mark," Torrie said.

"No, I know! You're right, plus, I can't afford a big wedding... so the less people, the better," Michelle claimed as she shook the unwanted feelings off.

 _ **The bridges with my family burned a long time ago, which is why every little relationship I had in this time of my life was so crucial and important to me.**_

* * *

 _ **And speaking of wedding invitations, Ashley got an invitation to her mother's wedding that same rainy morning, it was something her mother has been planning all year long. That long awaited day had finally arrived and Ashley was secretly wishing it could be canceled.**_

Ashley and Dolph just got back from the gym together. Ashley wasn't switching gym's just because of Dwayne, so instead she brought along her security, Dolph. "Oh my god, my mother is getting married and I can't wait for her to give me shit about every little thing! What I'm wearing, who I bring, yay, please just like kill me already," Ashley sarcastically said as she threw the invitation on the couch.

"Don't joke about that! You almost literally died like a week ago," Dolph said as he shook his head. "Seriously, it can't be that bad," he unquestionably said.

Ashley turned to him, "Uh, 'Not that bad'! No, believe me, it's horrible! My mother is bat-shit crazy, not as much anymore though, me leaving to Paris really made her realize that it's best for her to just stay out my life... but she still calls just to ask if I have a man in my life," Ashley ranted on about as she searched for something to drink from her fridge.

 _ **It's true, Ashley's mother was crazy and she didn't know it... until she crazily drove her own daughter out to Paris, then she learned to be a little less crazy.**_

"I'll be your date! Johnny will be gone for two weeks, he's going over to Minnesota to visit family for the holidays! Which means I'm free, but you have to let me judge whatever it is you're going to wear... I'll be your stylist too," Dolph insisted.

Ashley didn't hesitate to second-think that, "Okay, sure! But you have to wear the color my mother wants, just to coordinate a little... the color is winter-ish, just chose a winter-like color," Ashley told him.

"Are we also singing Let It Go too," Dolph jokingly asked as he laughed.

Ashley smirked, "Probably, knowing my mother, you never know! But at least, if we do look ridiculous, we won't get mugged," Ashley jokingly responded. Dolph quickly stopped laughing, he wasn't amused.

 _ **The mugging was still something that ran in Ashley's mind, just like that scary man who ran with her belongings on that night. She had been mugged in the past too, but it never involved the circumstances of almost dying.**_

"Ashley, don't joke like that! You got mugged and it was a serious thing... which is why I signed us up for a Jiu-Jitsu class, it'll be fun and it'll hopefully turn you into some Ronda Rousey type of bitch," Dolph told her as he handed her the flyer of the Jiu-jitsu place.

Ashley took it and glanced over it, "Thank you! I was scared, I'm not going to lie, I was mortified, he was so close to shanking me for crying out loud! But I'm not letting that put me into fear, I grew up in Brooklyn, I'm a hardcore bitch and this is my city," Ashley claimed as she drank from her water bottle.

 _ **That is why every New Yorker needs their 'someone', even if that someone is your gay best friend.**_

* * *

 _ **Now that Torrie and Punk had a friendship bond that seemed stronger than ever, Torrie wanted to spend every day with him and he enjoyed her company too. Like normal friendships, the two had no love-related feelings for each other, except that seeing some woman walk out of Punk's place made Torrie feel a certain way.**_

"That's the same lady! It's the same one," Torrie told Candice as she hid behind the window looking out. "Alicia, right, it's the same one! We've seen her walk out of their for like the past month!

Alicia joined the two spying girls, "Yep, same one! I can tell, because the hoe always wears pantsuits and she's always classy... we all know Punk and he don't do classy," Alicia jokingly said as she watched the lady hail a cab so flawlessly.

Torrie turned to Alicia, "I'm classy! I'm very classy actually," Torrie demanded.

Candice and Alicia laughed, "Honey, I think what she meant by 'do', was who he sleeps with! I'm pretty sure, knowing you, you haven't slept with him," Candice told Torrie.

"Of course I haven't! We're friends and I'm just surprised he didn't tell me about her, I mean she spoke to him right in front of me while we were in line at some art gallery," Torrie explained.

 _ **Torrie figured out her feelings right on the spot- She wanted Punk to tell him everything like they promised each other... but Punk was hiding one expensive and classy pantsuit-wearing secret from her.**_

"If he's your friend... why do you care," Alicia asked.

Torrie shrugged, "I don't know, I just want him to come to me and talk to me about it," Torrie answered as she continued staring from her window over across the street, over at Punk's place.

"I'm sure he'll tell you about it and who honestly cares, it's just sex! If he hasn't made her a mama, there ain't no drama, therefore nothing to tell," Candice explained to Torrie."See, guys and girls don't think about sex the same way... guys just don't think about it in general, they just stick it in," Candice said.

"Eww," Torrie said. "But true," Alicia added in as the three women laughed.

* * *

 _ **Shortly after, we all met for bagels at some Manhattan coffee-shop Ashley found out about through Dolph.**_

"You are all officially invited to my mother's wedding," Ashley said as she threw the 3 invitations on the table. "Don't worry, wear whatever and you're allowed to bring a plus one!"

Torrie picked it up right away, "Ooh, I already know what I'm going to wear," Torrie exclaimed. "And Michelle, aren't you forgetting something," Torrie teased.

"Right, totally forgot, but you're also all officially invited to my wedding," Michelle said as she got the invitations out. "I totally forgot, but it's like four months away... so don't worry about anything, like bridal dresses, which I'll allow for you all to pick out!"

"F*cking great... being a bride is the worst, but for you I'll do it," Ashley teased as she picked up the invitation. "Other than me of course, who are the other bridesmaids anyway," Ashley asked.

Michelle shrugged, "Well, obviously you 3 girls and then Stacy, I'm still trying to get a hold of Layla... and guys, I'm not sure, that's Jack's decision," Michelle explained.

 _ **Mark wasn't going to be a groomsman, unless somehow he became real close friend's with Jack. Either way, it was better that way, having your ex-husband trade spots, from being the groom to just one of the groomsman was an uncomfortable scenario to think about.**_

Candice chuckled, "What about Mark? Have you invited him at least," Candice asked.

"Of course I'm going to invite him! Him and Victoria, of course I will," Michelle responded as the invitation waited in her purse.

"It won't be weird, you two are like best friends... who happened to be married once, so what," Ashley told Michelle.

Torrie nodded in agreement, "Yeah! It's important to have all of the people you consider close there," Torrie reminded Michelle.

 _ **And here I was, secretly still doubting whether or not to invite him. After all, how close would I consider Mark... just kidding, rhetorical question.**_

"The important thing... is that now I have to find two dates... well one technically! Dolph agreed to be my date for my mother's wedding," Ashley said.

Candice gasped, "What happened to the hot NBA player," Candice asked.

"Well, what happened to the 25 year old hot guy from your musical," Ashley asked back.

Candice shrugged and shook her head, "Who cares," Candice responded.

"Of course you don't, you're musical is about to end and you can hide away from him in your penthouse," Ashley jokingly told Candice. "I, on the other hand, still have the chances of running into Dwayne at my gym and I care because I practically will always remember the night where I got mugged to a knife point," Ashley added.

"Well, you shouldn't care! It was just sex, similar to Cody and I... well, he technically was there for me... but you know what I mean," Candice explained.

"The point is, men are assholes and none of us at this table should have to explain why they aren't part of our lives anymore... unless if you're married, then you have to tell," Ashley said.

 _ **Men were not the hot topic at this brunch.**_

"Men aren't just objects we can throw away like nothing... Michelle for example, she's found her man and that's her other half," Torrie told the women. "Throwing him away would be like throwing away half of her heart!"

"Thank you, but I'm not necessarily sure Jack is half of me... we're different people, which is fine, it makes everything more exciting," Michelle claimed.

Ashley jumped in, "Mark and you were very similar though... but that ended in a divorce, so maybe the trick is to find your opposite," Ashley reassured Michelle.

"Not really, Wade and I were very different... that ended in a divorce too! I'd rather have a best friend who is my other half, my better half dare I say," Candice responded. "I think it's safer to find someone you really are similar to and that takes time, we're too old for divorces," Candice said.

Michelle got up, "Well, that's good for you! I have to go," Michelle said as she got up from the table. "I just don't want to talk about divorces, I'm not that cynical anymore... believe it or not, this wedding is happening and our divorces are in the past, they have nothing to do with what's to come," Michelle told them all as put a twenty dollar bill on the table to cover for her order.

* * *

 _ **Divorces really weren't always left in the past, they were a serious issue that could still haunt a person even if they thought that they had moved on. Candice heard from Wade for the first time in months through email.**_

"Your father wants to see my show! What do I say," Candice asked Brooklyn. Brooklyn lowered the volume of the TV and turned to her, with a pause.

"Say yes! Let him see it, after all, you did say that you were pulling off the lead role perfectly and you said it was about to end... so invite him to like the final show or whatever," Brooklyn suggested.

Candice froze, she was screwed and she knew it. "Right, right! Okay, I'll write him an email telling him he's invited," Candice forced herself to say.

 _ **Candice crashed into a wall, her son didn't see and her ex-husband didn't either. She somewhat got back up over time, but she ran herself right into a corner and she was screwed. Immediately after that, Candice begged the producers to give her the part of the lead role again.**_

"Please, you don't understand! My son thinks I've been playing the lead role all this time and he doesn't know I got fired, and now my ex-husband wants to see a show and I invited him to the last one... but Becky doesn't look like me, so I'm begging you to let me close this entire musical by playing the lead role one last time," Candice begged with a shaky voice.

The producer had no empathy, he kept his arms crossed and he simply looked at her with a blank face. "Fine then! But you have to come to rehearsals and you have to be good, even better than you were before your whole breakdown phase... but first, Becky has to be on board! If she agrees, then you get the part," The producer said.

"Oh f*ck, I'm screwed," Candice yelled. "She hates me, you know that! She'll never say 'yes' to me, but damn I have to find a way to make her realize that I'm a better performer than her," Candice said.

The producer shook his head, "See and then you wonder why she hates you! Play nice and don't come to me if she says no, not my problem," he said as he walked away.

 _ **And she was screwed.**_

* * *

 _ **Ashley was screwed too, well she literally was getting screwed by a hot Knicks player... which ended by her almost getting stabbed outside of his place. Which is why Dolph dragged her to the Jiu-Jitsu place he signed them up for.**_

Ashley set her bag as she looked around the place, where mats lied around everywhere. "Look at everybody, they're all athletic and stuff! I am screwed, you do realize that, look at them, doing flips and shit," Ashley whispered to Dolph as the two cautiously walked to a corner.

"The outfits are cute, so shut up! They're like a creamy white color, imagine us with belts... you never know and you know what they say, black goes with everything," Dolph teased as he wrapped up his 'outfit'.

"They're called Judo Gi's... I think! And the only reason why I'm here is because these look cuter than a hospital gown... or then bloody death," Ashley told him as she sat next to him on the blue mat.

Dolph turned to her, "That's why you need to work for a red belt... not a red belt that is only red because of your blood! Now listen and maybe you'll learn some badass moves," Dolph advised.

 _ **One guy turned out to be a douche and the other one did too, except Ashley was never in a relationship with either of the two. Now, she was in a relationship with Jiu-jitsu and she was planning on getting tough... so guys were not in her mind.**_

"Hey you, come work with me! You look new to the place, I can teach you something," the tall dark Hispanic man said as he stuck his hand out for Ashley to grab.

Ashley was clueless, "Uh okay... but if you make me bleed, I'll sue you... just kidding," Ashley teased as she got up on her own.

"You call that flirting? He had his hand out for you to grab," Dolph whispered into Ashley's ear.

"No, that's not me flirting! And yes I saw his hand, but I'm not going there! Because of a man, I went to a gym and now I'm here because of another man... who knows where the next one will send me," Ashley whispered as the Jiu-Jitsu guy waited for her on the other side of the room.

"But he's cute and spicy looking," Dolph added in.

"F*ck, I know, but not going there," Ashley said as she walked away to the waiting guy.

 _ **Ironically, she did go there. But she went in hopes of becoming a 'tough badass', according to her. The man was Alberto Del Rio and he was a third generational Jiu-Jitsu instructor, part Brazilian and part Puerto Rican and part irresistible.**_

* * *

 _ **I also was feeling like a tough badass. I was going out of my way to invite my ex-husband to my wedding with my new future husband, it was quite a dare-devil risk I was taking.**_

Michelle went over to Mark's place, luckily for her, Victoria was out shopping for groceries. "Can you believe them! Talking about divorces right in front of me, it's like their mocking me," Michelle told Mark as she sat on his couch. "I mean, you don't think our divorce should define this new marriage I'm about to enter, right," Michelle asked the man himself.

Mark shrugged, "Michelle, it's not that you should let a divorce define you... it's just that, they probably expected you to learn from your past and they're worried you might fall again in this new marriage you're headed for," Mark reminded Michelle.

Michelle chuckled, "I did learn a lot, I spent like 4 months analyzing my feelings for you and my feelings toward the divorce and my feelings about being newly single... if anybody should know that, it should be them, I would talk to them about that all the time," Michelle belted out.

"Exactly! They saw how much you struggled to get over it and they don't want you to go over it again... with a man who suddenly popped up into your life out of nowhere again," Mark told Michelle.

 ** _It was like they were all against me._**

"Well, you too huh!? Okay, well I don't understand how I've known you for so long and you would always tell me that you would never want to be a father! And then boom, you come back after leaving for like 6 months and next thing you know you're expecting a baby with some woman you've only known for like 9 months... now that's crazy," Michelle said, with her voice raising up by the second. "Mark, maybe you should learn too! You used to buy your groceries at CVS, maybe that should tell you that you really aren't father material," Michelle told him as she got her coat and purse to walk out of his place.

"I did learn Michelle, that's the point! I learned that I wanted to be a father, people change their minds and age plays a big part.. you don't see me jumping into a marriage with Victoria, why, because I've been through that already and I learned not to go there," Mark snapped back at her.

Mark sat back, he watched her walk away and he had nothing else to say. He got it all out and so did she.

 _ **The invitation never made it into his hands. Maybe it was a sign, my wedding meant my new start in life with that special new someone. His baby meant his new start with his special new someone.**_

* * *

 _ **The only way Candice could really start a new life with whatever special someone she would consider, she first had to bring a closure to her old life with those people she once considered her enemies.**_

Candice put on an ugly sweater and she cautiously made her way to Becky. On the way their, she messed up her hair a little... all of that, just to make Becky seem better and in hopes that then Becky might give Candice the lead role again.

 _ **After finally walking through the people on the stage, Candice finally got to her destination... hell, with a very slim chance of hope.**_

"Hello Becky! How are you, you look lovely and I was wondering if you can let me play the lead role again, for the last show," Candice asked. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm begging you!"

Becky shook her head and rolled her eyes without even second-thinking it. "Hell no! You must be crazy if you think I'm gonna let you steal my shine, you screwed up and I took your place... deal with it," Becky roared at her.

"I get it, I screwed up and you're younger and you have a brighter future in this whole Broadway musical theatre business... but I'm just asking for one more chance, it's important that I play this lead role one last time and it has nothing to do with competing with you," Candice insisted.

Becky continued shaking her head, "Are you forgetting that you practically attacked me like an animal at that one club and before that you almost punched me in the face... because I haven't," Becky reminded Candice.

 _ **All this time, Candice was at war with herself. Somehow, Becky was her target and she was beginning to regret that.**_

Candice felt helpless. "I'm sorry! I just really hope you at least think about it and I'm sorry," Candice said. "One day, when you're older, you'll be in my spot and you'll understand what I'm going through. I'm not talking about menopause, I haven't gone through that yet... I'm talking about something deeper, something that broke me and something that I now need to face and prove wrong... think about it."

* * *

 _ **Stakes were flying high for Candice, while Torrie was about to fly high too... well she wasn't flying, but she was about to go get high and that might make her feel like she was flying.**_

Torrie and Punk walked down a basement and you could smell the pot even from the entrance. "I can't believe I agreed to this! Who's place is this by the way, it seems shady," Torrie asked.

"Don't worry, I don't do shady anymore, I'm 37! And this is a friend's place, but he's out of town," Punk said as the sweet smell of marijuana intrigued him down the basement.

Punk picked up the small zipper-lock bag of weed and he smiled. Torrie was cautious, she has never smoked pot. But she figured 'why not', after all, she promised Punk she would be comfortable with his lifestyle.

 _ **At such low elevations, those two were getting quite high... higher than the Empire State building dare I say.**_

After about an hour of smoking the joint, the two were high enough to feel the earth carry them and the day seemed endless in their other-worldly mindsets. "Let's go somewhere cool," Punk said with a ghost-like voice.

"Is someone down there," A woman from above the staircase asked.

Punk put his hand over his mouth and started laughing, "Oh shit! His mother is home, just act natural, she's too dumb to sense anything... which is why her husband cheated on her like ten times," Punk said as he continued laughing and tripping over his own footsteps.

Although high, Torrie still panicked. "Act natural, or don't say anything! I'll, i'll take care of it," she said. The two struggled to walk up the stairs, but they eventually made it.

 _ **Not only were they high, but they were also literally high now... up one floor high.**_

"Hello mam, I'm Rodger's friend and this is my friend too, we're here to feed his frog," Torrie told the woman.

The woman, who was most likely in her 50's, seemed to suspect something. "I don't believe you... he has a turtle, not a frog, and his name is Spencer," she told Torrie.

Punk laughed in the background, "Sorry Mrs. Savage! We call him Rodger, it's a long story and we call his turtle a frog, they're similar creatures and it's a long story too," Punk insisted.

"Okay then, well, Phill, nice to see you and I'm loving the perfume," she told them.

Punk waved goodbye and he walked away, trying to keep a straight face. "Bye good lady! Good old little Rodger will be happy to know his frog-turtle was taken care of," Torrie said as she abruptly ran to catch up to Punk.

 _ **It wasn't typical of Torrie, but she felt free and alive.**_

* * *

 _ **If you're gonna do drugs... do them happy. If you're a smoker and you're gonna smoke again, do it because it's who you are... not because you're trying to be some rebel. Ashley recently started smoking again, she stopped for a while after Drew told her it was unattractive and then again after Dwayne told her it was unhealthy.**_

After Jiu-jitsu class ended, Ashley waited outside for Dolph. She was freezing, but she refused to shiver out of coldness. The rain also started to drizzle lightly and Ashley secretly feared that her cigarette would go out, but she kept smoking like she didn't care.

"Hey, you are really beautiful! Really, I mean it, just thought I'd let you know," Alberto tried to flatter Ashley.

Ashley chuckled, "Thank you! You're impressive in there, great set of moves," Ashley told him. She was flattered by him, but she hid it.

Alberto walked closer and he stood next to her against the wall. "You seem very unphased," he said.

Ashley nodded, "Yep, I haven't even started with men... yet I'm already over them," Ashley told him. "See, I haven't dated a guy in years... but somehow, they come into my life and they screw me over," she explained.

 _ **The man simply found Ashley intriguing, he wasn't even thinking about a relationship... even if he was, Ashley ruined that.**_

"Well see you around," he said as he abruptly walked away.

Dolph couldn't help but to overhear, "Ooh, he's talking to you... but then you screw it up," Dolph said as he put his sweater on. Ashley rolled her eyes and she turned away.

"Whatever, I wasn't looking for anything," Ashley told him. Dolph shook his head as he grabbed Ashley's cigarette and put it out. "Look, stay away! I appreciate you caring about my safety, but just stay away when it comes to men and my love-life, that's what I'm going to do and I mean it this time, just a break," Ashley stated.

Dolph nodded, "Okay, you got it! Now let's go, it's about to rain," Dolph said as he threw her cigarette on the floor and stepped all over it.

 _ **Ashley wasn't looking for that special someone, she was looking for the pill and in order to find it, she had to distance herself from men.**_

* * *

 _ **Once didn't work, but Candice wasn't afraid of trying a second time.**_

Candice crossed her fingers under her coat as she made her way to Becky. "Becky, did you think about it," Candice asked.

Becky crossed her arms, "Sorry, but I don't think so," Becky told her. "Look, it's not my fault that your whole life became this whole train-wreck and it's not my fault you let go of this earth... but you blamed it on me and you used Cody, you're a bitch, so no," she told Candice.

 _ **Unfortunately, Candice brought Brooklyn with her this time around.**_

Brooklyn overheard everything. "Mom, what's going on," Brooklyn asked Candice as he walked up from behind them.

Candice didn't know what to say, she could see the confused look on his face. "Oh honey, I'm sorry, I lied to you... if you heard it all and if you're wondering, yes it's all true," Candice finally admitted. "My life is a mess, a train-wreck, a complete depressing dark story! I'm sorry, I didn't want you to feel bad for me and I didn't want you to look at me as a sad pathetic failure," Candice tried explaining.

Brooklyn froze in the moment, "I'm not disappointed and I don't see you as anything less, but you didn't have to lie to me... that's the part that is disappointing honestly," he told her.

 _ **It was one of those dramatic movie moments, where every character jumps out to say something, just to add on to the dramatic moment.**_

"And you shouldn't be disappointed of your mother! She loved you and she thought about you practically every second of her miserable down-spiral," Cody added out of nowhere. He overheard everything too, well everybody did and Candice would complain about that, but at this point she could care less about people knowing of her down-spiral.

Becky awkwardly stepped back, "Fine then, I'll let you play the lead role one last time... and I'm sorry for calling you a bitch, and I'm sorry for pulling your hair that other night too, and I could go on, but you get the point," Becky said as she stepped away.

Candice smiled, "Thank you Becky and I am truly sorry too! Deeply sorry actually, same goes to you Cody and to you Brooklyn," helpless Candice cried out. "I'm sorry! I hate saying sorry, but I'm sorry!"

 _ **It was one of those breakthrough moments for Candice.**_

"Now go show your ex-husband that you're still banging and slaying," Becky teased as she walked away. Suddenly, the rivalry between the two women ended. Right then and there, Candice did consider Becky a 'woman'.

"I'm Cody, a friend and only a friend, which is cool with me! I'm guessing your the famous Brooklyn," Cody asked Brooklyn as he patted Brooklyn on the back.

Brooklyn smiled, "Yeah, that's me," Brooklyn answered. He wasn't a little boy anymore, he was 15 and he could sense a tension between his mother and this man. "It's cool if you two have anything going on!"

Candice laughed and shook her head, "No, it's not like that! I mean, we have something, but maybe I'm just scared," Candice responded. "That's why I think Cody should take us out for coffee down the street."

* * *

 _ **Torrie was still high, not nearly as high, but still high. Punk and her decided to head over to Rockefeller's Center Ice Skating Rink, that was the 'cool' place Punk had in mind and it was quite literally 'cool'.**_

"Oh my god, it's raining, but I don't care," Torrie yelled as she laughed. She put on her ice skater shoes and she quickly got herself onto the rink. "I've always wanted to go Ice-Skating on a December... except it's raining and I'm high," she said as she began to cry a little.

After finally tying his ice-skating shoes, Punk looked up at her confused. "Are you f*cking crying," he asked. "Here, hold my hand, if you fall on your face, you probably will cry about that too." He reached his hand out for Torrie to hold onto.

 _ **Torrie kept crying, she cried and cried... but she was high, so it was okay.**_

Torrie and Punk struggled to get a hold of themselves on that ice. "This is f*cking hard... but it's feels f*cking magical," Punk yelled as he tried swiftly moving around on that ice.

"Holy shit balls, I feel like some Disney princess... on ice," Torrie exclaimed as she suddenly felt her tears freeze. The people on the rink all went to one corner and from the side of her eye, Torrie could see some big colorful festive lights sparkling out of nowhere. "Oh my god! They are lighting up the Christmas Tree... oh how lovely," Torrie exclaimed hysterically as she fell down on the ice rink.

"Chill, chill," Punk yelled at her as he joined her on the icy floor. "That's f*cking beautiful though, f*cking magical I'm not going to lie," he said under his breath as the two sat mesmerized by the giant tree being lit up in colors.

 _ **Going to an ice skating rink on a rainy day while being high on marijuana seemed pointless... but boy was there an unexpected surprise not many get to witness, the lighting of the giant Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Even high, Torrie still couldn't help but to be her normal optimistic loving self.**_

* * *

 _ **After all of the burning, I finally got home to my home. That special someone that really made me feel at home, Jack.**_

"I am cold," Michelle whispered as she grabbed a blanket to lie beside Jack. "My friends are mean, but I love them and I love you, I'm no longer scared of getting married... now I just want my friends to be on board, when will the long bumpy road to our wedding day end," Michelle teased.

Jack laughed, "I understand where they're coming from, but I'm sure they'll still love you... even, say, if you marrying me is a bad decision... which it won't be," Jack reassured her as he lied next to her with his hands on his chest.

"I know, whatever I do, they'll speak up because they care... which is what I'll do too, so really I'm a hypocrite," Michelle said chuckling. "But I guess you're right, it'll be fine."

 _ **I had my man next to me, yet I felt so alone. However, his words and the calming rain outside of his apartment window somehow managed to change that.**_

"You know, I love you for comforting me! Those words are all very honest and I can't believe I didn't think of those before, you know it really helped," Michelle told Jack as she held his hand. The two were both looking up at the room's ceiling, they both turned to each other and smiled. "I'm so marrying you," Michelle told him as she laughed.

 _ **I had my 'someone' and in life, when you find that 'someone', it's hard for them to hate you or to drift away from you. I knew that, because I had my friends and they were also my 'someone' in their own way.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Dolph Ziggler, Alicia Fox, Brooklyn Barrett, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Calaway, Becky Lynch, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Jack Swagger.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On December 5, 2015.**


	13. Endings, Beginnings

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 13: ...Endings... Beginnings...**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **On that rainy day of December, I called up my girls for a power-brunch at Central Park.**_

"Before we talk about anything else, I really just wanted to say that I'm sorry," Michelle told them as she poked her salad around. "Whatever it is you guys have to say, I'll listen and I won't get so defensive! I have no reason to anymore, I'm positive about this whole marrying Jack thing after all and that's all that matters!"

Ashley shrugged, "Michelle, I don't want to see you get hurt, but don't worry, I take Jiu-jitsu now! So I can bite my tongue now and if you do get hurt, I'll have some moves ready to go," Ashley said as she took bite out of her turkey sandwich.

Candice nodded along, "I feel like I've been the toughest on you and I apologize, but I care and I don't want to see you get hurt again," Candice told Michelle. "Plus, I was a bitter recently divorcee... but that's behind me now, well it will be, I invited Wade over to see my last show and I'm playing the lead role again, thanks to Becky," Candice said.

Ashley turned to Candice, "Becky, you mean the 'Becky Bitch'," Ashely asked. "Wow, you really are putting this all behind you!"

"It's like a new beginning for all of us, it feels so fresh and it's not just the rain surrounding us," Torrie exclaimed.

 _ **It really was a new beginning for all of us. We all learned something and everything seemed to be turning left or right for us, no more being in a corner between the past and the present.**_

"So Candice, if you really are putting everything behind you... what about Cody, where does he fit in," Torrie asked excitedly.

Candice shook her head and laughed, "No, I'm not that optimistic! Don't get carried away, all I'm saying, is that I'm not dwelling on the past anymore," Candice responded. "I have my son now again in my life, I have no reason to dwell on the past anymore!"

Ashley interrupted, "And by the way Torrie, it's not a new beginning for all of us! I still feel like shit after Dwayne and still even Drew making me insecure has somewhat stayed with me," Ashley said.

Michelle quickly added in, "Wait a minute! You're taking Jiu-Jitsu now and you're smoking again, which I don't agree with, but if that helps you... then yeah it's something new," Michelle told her.

 _ **We all couldn't really sense every little beginning, maybe it was because we couldn't sense the endings that were falling all around us.**_

"Tell me again why we chose to eat at Central Park on a cold rainy day," Ashley asked as she felt the raindrops barely touch her from under the table-umbrella.

"It's a boathouse restaurant, deal with it... maybe the rain will fill up this damn lake and we'll drown, then I won't have to perform in front of my ex-husband and if he decides to bring his new woman," Candice said as they all laughed.

"Oh what a great idea... I won't have to go to my mother's wedding if that happens," Ashley added in.

Torrie shook her head. "We'll be fine, embrace the new beginnings damn it," Michelle said as they continued laughing.

 _ **Torrie didn't quite have a 'in-your-face' new beginning, until she went to her office after getting a call.**_

"Torrie, you're all wet! Why, this is _Elle_ ," Alicia teasingly asked as she showed Torrie a piece of paper.

Torrie tried looking over it quickly, "What is it," Torrie asked.

"It's from a book publishing company... they want to sign you up for a publishing deal," Alicia told Torrie.

Torrie gasped, she couldn't believe it, literally, Alicia for her pranks and jokes. "You're lying and I don't appreciate it," Torrie told Alicia off.

 _ **For an optimistic woman, Torrie sure didn't believe in her career capabilities.**_

"Nope, it's true! I would've told you, but Alicia really wanted to share the news with you," the chief editor's assistant told Torrie as she walked. "They were really impressed with your recent December issue article and they checked up more of your work, which they liked! They're dying to sign you, for maybe 3 books or so, call them," The assistant told Torrie as she got excited for her.

Torrie's jaw dropped as she bounced like a bunny in place, "I'll call them right away," Torrie exclaimed as she picked up the phone.

 _ **After nearly an hour of being on the phone, Torrie was officially signed to the book publishing company.**_

* * *

 _ **Beginnings are beautiful, while endings always seem to be so depressing. I met Mark over at his place for him to do some apologizing... again, but I had to do some apologizing too... again.**_

"I'm sorry, yet again," Mark told Michelle.

"I'm sorry too, again," Michelle said, while chuckling.

Mark shook his head as he stared into her eyes, he couldn't help it, he seemed to always get lost in them. "This is silly, we can't keep doing this... especially now that we really are starting new chapters in our lives! I mean I'll be a father for crying out loud, I won't have time to worry about apologies for friends... no offense," Mark admittedly said.

"Well that's just sad, no offense! I mean, I'd like to think, that if I ever did have kids... I'd always have time for my friends," Michelle responded.

Mark laughed, "Oh, believe me, I know! Michelle loves her friends, if anything, that's what I've learned from you... which is why, out of all of my friends, you're the last one I'd be willing to give up, but-," Mark said, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to finish off that sentence.

 _ **He knew what I knew, which was that we had to let go of any feelings or at least ignore them until they go away with time.**_

"I get it! We can't keep having these feelings for each other and I agree! Which is why I think we should just maybe not see each other as much," Michelle told him. "Who are we kidding, we're not the same anymore and that's fine...and as much as I am going to hate not having you in my life, it's what's best for the both of us."

Mark gave her a small smile, just to appear sure of everything. "Sounds like a plan, but don't become a total stranger," he begged of her.

"Look who's talking, you'll be the father... I'm just getting married, in case you forgot, our marriage never changed me and I doubt this one will," Michelle said. "I've got an eternal internal youthfulness... dare I say even external too, oh and here's an invitation to my wedding... just in case you want to show up," she teased as she threw the invitation on the table.

 _ **It didn't really feel like an ending, it felt more like a beginning now that I thought about it. Then again, aren't all endings just beginnings?**_

Mark laughed, "We'll see if I end up showing! Anyway, Victoria and I just learned that our baby will be a girl... so to celebrate we wanted to buy some girly baby stuff, if you wanted to join along, just one last time," he asked.

"Oh, not the last time at all... remember, we said we wouldn't be strangers," Michelle reminded him of. "And yes, I'll go, congratulations by the way... oh and by the way, you're a douche! I said I had an eternal youthfulness and you didn't say anything," she teased as she walked out of his place.

* * *

 _ **The day was getting a kick out of all us, Ashley was literally giving a kick. She again went for Jiu-Jitsu fun and one kick led to the other.**_

Ashley and Dolph were near the kicking bags, "I am getting a hang of this whole kicking thing," Ashley told Dolph as she continued kicking the big red bag on the side.

"Good, good," the Jiu-Jitsu man said as he watched Ashley. "Support yourself with your other leg, more strength!"

Ashley wasn't in the mood for the critic, but she took the advice and she start aggressively kicking that back stronger and stronger.

The Jiu-Jitsu instructor not only found Ashley to be beautiful, but he also found her kicks quite beautiful. He stared as she kicked, which threw Ashley off the loop. Instead of kicking the bag, Ashley's supporting leg accidentally lost balance in the middle of a kick and her foot went right into his face.

 _ **Ashley seemed to be doing everything in her power to push this Jiu-Jitsu instructor away, well, kick him away at least.**_

"Holy shit, I'm so sorry," Ashley yelled as the man hit the floor. "Oh my gosh, are you okay?"

Dolph ran to them, "What the hell happened," he asked. The entire room stopped and turned to Ashley. Ashley was mortified and didn't know what to say.

"It was an accident okay, I didn't purposely kick him," Ashley told them all as she crouched next to the man down. The Jiu-Jitsu instructor got up with a bloody mouth, "This really f*cking hurts, but nice kick," he whispered as he tried wiping himself with his bare hands.

 _ **The guilt was eating her up, she couldn't stand seeing him bleed because of her... especially after he seemed to be trying so hard with her.**_

Ashley had her hand over her mouth, she tried helping him up and Dolph helped too. "Oh shit, it looks bad," Ashley said. "Let's go clean that up," she said as she held his arm carefully.

* * *

 _ **Right in between Manhattan and Brooklyn, Punk took Torrie out for a little celebratory picnic at the Brooklyn Bridge.**_

"It's raining and there's no place to sit... I thought you said this was a picnic," Torrie teased as she got two subway sandwiches from her purse.

Punk's eyes lit up, "Oh f*ck yes, I love subway," Punk said as he took one from her hand. "Yeah, I'm not really good at planning things like 'picnics'," he admitted as the two leaned on the railing of the bridge.

"I could tell, but thank you for wanting to celebrate my whole book publishing deal," Torrie said as she felt the strong winds take her away in a metaphorical way.

Punk shrugged, "I wanted to be creative and spontaneous! Then I realized there's a f*cking park right across from here and it's going to rain again any second now," Punk said.

Torrie giggled at his way of getting worked up over this 'picnic'. "Hey, don't worry, it's fine... a little cold, but I love it," Torrie reassured him.

 _ **Torrie wanted so badly to make everything perfect, but maybe that was the beauty of it all, the imperfection. It was their own little version of a picnic. No sunshine, just grey clouds ready to pour any second now, no flowers or baskets, just a Subway sandwich out of Torrie's purse, no pretty green grass, just a dirty steel bridge rail, and no perfectly in love couple... just two friends.**_

"What f*cking book are you gonna write now," Punk asked curiously.

Torrie shrugged, "I don't know and I find it surprising that I'm not getting so worked up about it... but I think it'll eventually come to me, as long as I keep believing," Torrie responded.

Punk chuckled, "Oh-f*cking-kay! I mean, I like it though, you really seem to be changing," Punk told her.

"I set up three dates actually, not in the same day of course! So technically I haven't changed much, but I really feel individually strong enough to just be patient for the love I so desire and deserve," Torrie said.

Punk gave her a thumbs up and a goofy smile. "I'm not high, yet that still sounded f*cking beautiful! I'm proud of you kid," he told her.

* * *

 _ **And at a much glamorous glitzy setting, Candice was getting quite dirty and gross... literally. Their was puke everywhere.**_

"Mom, holy wow, are you okay," Brooklyn asked as he watched his mother clean her mouth with a tissue.

She turned to him and cried, "I'm not okay... at all! This is hell, who am I kidding, I can't go out there," Candice cried out as she put the trash can full of vomit down.

He walked to her and he comforted her by hugging her, "I can smell your vomit and it smells like expired dairy... but I'm still hugging, because that's how much I believe in you," Brooklyn told her as he suddenly became the grown up in the room.

 _ **Candice was nervous for many reasons. It wasn't just another show, it was the last show and it was her comeback show, her ex-husband would also be in the crowd and other critics would be waiting for her to screw up too. The pressure was on.**_

"You're right, I need to go out there! Thank you sweetie, I would kiss you, but the inside of my mouth feels like oatmeal," Candice said as she grabbed the nearby glass of pink champagne. She gargled it in her mouth and she spit it out in the trash can nearby.

Brooklyn shook his head, "Isn't that expensive," he asked.

Candice looked at him through the mirror with big bulb lights all around it and winked. "It is, but I'm freaking fabulous," Candice told her son as she began to put her lipstick on.

 _ **Candice knew she had to prove everybody wrong... most importantly herself. Her son was a good motivator and her biggest supporter, which pushed Candice even more.**_

"Candice, we're on in 5," the woman said from the outside of her dressing room.

Brooklyn quickly poured more pink champagne in her glass cup, "I know you need it," he said as he handed her the glass cup. "Just remember why you started this whole musical to begin with! You fell, but you got back up and then you fell again, that's life and I learned that from you... but it'd be a bad influence on me if you didn't get back up."

Candice smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "I think the bad influence here is the whole alcohol drinking thing... but just to let you know, I need you more than anything else in order for me to go on with this show and by show I mean life," Candice told him. "Thank you, I'm not going to lie though, I do also need this a little," she said as she chugged the glass of pink champagne before walking out with her supportive son by her side.

 _ **Candice was like Madonna. Constantly falling, yet constantly climbing back to the top time after time. She was an immortal woman that never gave up and only pushed to be the center of this whole damn show, with the little help of her son.**_

* * *

 _ **After the harsh kick and after pushing this guy away, Ashley finally gave her Jiu-Jitsu instructor a chance, well she owed it to him after the bloody mouth situation.**_

Ashley finally sat with this guy for some coffee, she thought it was the least she could do. The man was tall and dark, he was Hispanic and seemed to be exotic, not only with his Jiu-Jitsu moves, but with everything else in general.

"So, how long have you been doing Jiu-Jitsu for," Ashley asked, just to spark up the conversation a little.

 _ **His name was Alberto Del Rio and he seemed to be a bit dull, but he thought Ashley was 'beautiful', so she figured he wouldn't be too bad.**_

It took him about 5 minutes to finally answer, "About 12 years or so, I decided to teach it, because I wanted to and thought people would want to learn from me," Alberto responded he took a sip of his coffee slowly.

Ashley nodded along as her head spun out of boredom. "The rain is really pouring hard on us," Ashley commented on as she tapped on the glass window next to their coffee table.

"Ahh, yes it is! Did you know, that rain sometimes evaporates before it hits the floor," Alberto told Ashley as he raised an eyebrow.

Ashley shook her head, "No, I did not know that," she said.

 _ **In reality, Ashley did know that. And in reality, the little coffee get-together they were having also seemed to evaporate before even hitting the ground.**_

"Listen, I have to go, and sorry about the kick I gave you in the mouth," Ashley told him as she got up. "See ya around Alberto, now that I know your name, I can actually properly talk to you... don't worry, I won't be a bitch to you anymore," she promised.

Alberto stopped her before she could leave, "Wait, don't go! I find you too beautiful to just let you go, stay a while... or at least get to know, say another date," Alberto begged.

 _ **Hearing him call her beautiful really struck something within Ashley, like she's never heard it before and in recent times, she really hasn't. Only one thing came to mind, her mother's wedding... after all, not many people have first dates at weddings. Ashley could overlook the dullness in him, as long as she could hear him calling her beautiful over and over again.**_

"Okay, well here's my number and I have an idea for a date... my mother's wedding, it's right around the corner, so think about it and call me," Ashley proposed to him as she blew a kiss to him. 'Blowing a kiss' isn't something Ashley has ever done, but her confidence really brought something out of her... or maybe it was the rain that was making her feel dramatic and such.

* * *

 _ **As Mark and I moved into a new phase of our friendship, we also seemed to be moving into new territory... literally. Instead of shopping for designer clothes or beer for his needs, we were shopping at a local baby store.**_

"How cute, everything in here, it's all so cute," Michelle said to Victoria and Mark.

Victoria smiled, "Right, I can stay here all day and just spend thousands honestly... but I'm a responsible parent of course," Victoria said as she laughed.

Mark grabbed a teddy bear with a print on it that read 'it's a girl', Michelle noticed him in the corner as he got these wrinkles around his smiling eyes. "He'll be a great father," Michelle whispered to Victoria as they both watched him.

"I think so too," Victoria replied, with her hand over her chest.

 _ **Suddenly, it wasn't so bad ending some type of phase or chapter with the man I used to love so dearly. Seeing him love his new life and seeing some lucky woman love him just as much, it all just seemed to click and I knew it was time to get off the ride.**_

Michelle casually walked off, she went through the rack of baby clothing. "Wow, I'd so buy this for my daughter... but let's get real," Michelle said to herself as she picked a beautiful bubble gum pink tutu. From there, she continued searching through the store, it all seemed so 'exotic' to Michelle, it just didn't fit her and that was okay.

"Hey Victoria, I'm getting you this... don't tell Mark, I want it to be a surprise," Michelle said as she showed her the tutu.

Victoria loved it instantly, "Love it and thank you," Victoria said as she hugged Michelle. Michelle was confused with the abrupt hugging, "Thank you for understanding, thank you for letting Mark live this new chapter of his life... I'm not saying it's tough for you, after all, you do have Jack and an upcoming wedding, but I know your history with Mark and their's got to be some type of weird feelings," Victoria whispered.

 _ **Hearing her say that, it really just lifted a heavy weight off of me. This was the official ending for Mark and I, I felt the drift already pulling us away from each other and I was surprisingly okay with it.**_

Michelle awkwardly laughed. "Sorry, this is just weird, a little confrontation! But take care of him, because I know he'll take care of you and that baby," Michelle said as she gave Victoria a warm friendly smile.

* * *

 _ **Somewhere over her emotions, Torrie found herself digging through them with Punk.**_

As the two walked through the rainy bridge, Torrie decided to confront Punk about his 'sleeping lady friend'. "Hey, you know how friends tell each other everything? Who was that lady that talked to you when were in line for that art gallery party some weeks ago, the same one I see walking out of your place," Torrie asked out of nowhere.

"Which one," Punk asked as he chuckled.

Torrie turned to him, "The classy one, she always wears her perfectly tailored suitpants and she always tops them off with killer designer heels! Who is she," Torrie continued to ask.

Punk shrugged and closed his eyes, "This rain is practically f*cking blinding me," Punk said as he put on his hoodie. "Anyway, what were you saying," he teased.

"I'm being serious, I'm your friend and you agreed you would tell me everything... even if it was about sex and I promised I'd be comftorable with it, so talk," Torrie demanded.

Punk laughed, "Okay, oh-f*cking-kay! I've been sleeping with her for like a month, but we broke it off a couple of days ago actually," Punk finally answered.

Torrie was reliefed, "Oh okay, so what's the problem," she asked.

"I took her on dates, I tried giving love a chance, but it didn't work and she got upset! I didn't know how to tell you," Punk admitted.

 _ **Suddenly, Torrie felt a rage inside of her.**_

Torrie was quite for a moment, "Oh, well hey, you gave love a chance, that's something," she said before yet another silence. "I don't understand, was I being too pushy? Why not with me, I'm an expert on love and I thought if you ever wanted to try, you'd try with me... after all, I tried marijuana with you, when I could've tried it with anybody else," Torrie reminded him of.

Punk laughed, "You were with Brock at the time and I'm over it now, it was just an experiment," Punk explained.

"Okay," Torrie said. "I'm gonna take this cab, but don't get on it... I mean, I'm getting croissants and you probably want to get home," Torrie said as she waved to hail the cab driving by.

Punk followed her, "Come on, we live in the same f*cking street and I f*cking love croissants," he told her.

Torrie put her hand and walked away, "Okay then, you go, I'll just walk," Torrie said as she continued walking through the rain.

"Torrie, seriously, this is why I didn't tell you about it," Punk yelled from the cab. "It's raining, you're f*cking insane," he yelled.

Torrie kept walking, she tried searching for another open cab and she luckily found it.

* * *

 _ **After a praiseworthy performance, Candice finally put her arm up and as she dropped her head for a curtsy she felt the ending. The musical was over, but Candice promised herself that her show would always go on.**_

"WOO!" a man from the crowd yelled and another blew like a whistle. The crowd were all up on their feet cheering for the entire cast, but Candice stuck out for her spectacular comeback performance.

Candice was overwhelmed as she watched the audience come alive for her and she was proud of herself and of everybody around her, all of the hard work and now the musical had a damn hell of a sendoff.

 _ **After having about 15 people come up to her for some compliments on her return to the stage, Candice finally faced her biggest critic... Wade Barrett, the father of her son and her ex-husband.**_

"Candice, it's been a while," Wade said, with a rough silence after that. The room moved uneasy, but he managed to say one last thing. "Great job, you really killed out there... you did one hell of a job and I'm glad you're in control and back on that stage," he said.

Candice nodded along and smiled. She looked directly into his face, no fear or shaking, no fast beating of the heart, just her facing him straight on. "Thank you," she said, short and simple. From behind her Cody came rushing, "Candice, holy f*ck, you did amazing," he told her as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you, thank so very much Cody," Candice flirtasiouly told Cody in front of Wade.

Wade looked Cody up and down, judging and observing him. "Well, goodbye, tell Brooklyn I said hi and that I'll see him in about a week," Wade finally said as he dismissed himself directly for the door without stopping.

 _ **Wade was no longer Candice's biggest critic, she faced him and she kept moving right past him. Candice's biggest critic was herself and she felt very damn fabulous about herself.**_

"Oh, shit, that was you're ex-husband wasn't it? He's actually better looking than what I imagined, but boy, he looks lost," Cody told her as the two watched him rush out through the theatre doors.

Candice turned away to him, she could care less about Wade. "I guess I'm better off... thank you, not just for your part in this musical, but just in general! You were really there for me and I realized that I don't want to lose you," Candice told Cody.

Cody held her hand, "Don't worry, nobody here will judge... they all probably think I'm gay and if they don't, we can just say we're holding hands because were damn proud of this show," he said as he gripped onto her hand.

Candice laughed, "F*ck everybody, I don't care, if I can face my ex-husband and my own demons... everybody else just seems like a little troll I have to jump over," Candice said as she walked along with her hand in his.

 _ **Candice and Cody were officially dating now, Candice told us all over the phone that it would take her a while to be a 'girlfriend', but she was willing to go that way. Later that night, the couple went along for celabratory New York style pizza along with Brooklyn and even Becky Lynch joined along.**_

* * *

 _ **The return of Sable really scared Ashley, her mother was tough.**_

Sable moved around in her wedding dress as she looked at herself in the mirror, "I'm so excited, the feeling is so dreamy... I mean, I know it ain't the first time, but you know what they say, 5th time is a charm," Sable teased as she twirled in the big white bridal dress. "I'm hoping you're next, so, any men in your life?"

Ashley rolled her eyes as she sighed heavily, "No mother, no men! I'm perfectly fine," Ashley responded.

"What a shame," Sable told her daughter. "F*ck, I look fat in this... I mean I'm already skipping breakfast and lunch, why can't I look like Heidi Klum," she cried out as she held the small fat under her arm.

 _ **Not only was Sable tough on her daughter, but it looks like she was beginning to get tough herself too. Weddings are a bitch and so are men, they sometimes bring your confidence very down.**_

"You look fine ma'," Ashley insisted.

Sable turned to her and shook her head, "No, I'm a little too thick... I wouldn't say I'm 'fat', but I'm thick alright and I can't be by my wedding day," Sable would continuosly repeat.

"You know, actually, I will be bringing a man as my date to your wedding... he's my Jiu Jitsu instructor and he's tall and hispanic with an accent, he even calls me beautiful," Ashley revealed to her mother.

Sable suddenly shook her own problems and smiled for Ashley, "Oh, okay, good! Don't embarrass me though, flirt with him in front of everybody and tell him to dress nice," Sable demanded.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "No thank you, I just met him, this will be our first date, I can't do that," Ashley told Sable off. "Plus, I told you about him, because I wanted you know that he's a nice guy who makes me feel good about myself... something I'm not sure you have," Ashley added.

Sable turned to her immediatly with a gasp, "I will not stand here and let you say that about my new man! He's amazing, sure, he always tells me to look my best... but he loves me and this time it's real Ashley, not like your father or the that men followed," said Sable in a rush.

The room was silent for a while, "Okay, I have no problem with him! I just want you to know, that men really do make me feel insecure and I don't want that for you, you shouldn't be insecure," Ashley said.

"I'm fine Ashley, I'm fine," Sable insisted.

 _ **Suddenly the tables turned, Sable was now the one uttering the words "I'm fine".**_

* * *

 _ **As some felt the beginnings on the horizon, others felt the endings arising, while I felt both and it was a ray of sunshine through all of the dark grey clouds of December.**_

As the soon to be married couple packed for their honeymoon, they also packed away their present for their future. "I'm excited, you know, I love Hawaii and this will be my second time going... have I told you how freaking reliefed I am," Michelle told Jack as she folded her sun sweet hats she was looking forward to wearing.

"I'm like stealing you away from New York, but you sound more calm and that makes me calm," Jack told her.

Michelle chuckled, "Oh please, inside I'm freaking, but I'm sure of this, of us! After all these weeks, I finally feel sure and secure," Michelle insisted.

 _ **I really did feel like I was packing away my past for an indefinite future sweet escape with Jack.**_

"It took me a while to come around, but I am actually really excited now! I honestly try my wedding dress almost every night and it still feels perfect, I get chills just waiting for that day," Michelle dreamingly said. "The hardest part was closing some chapters," Michelle admitted with Mark in mind.

Jack had a confused look on his face, "Why did you have to close some chapters, you can be a married woman with the similar lifestyle you're currently living," Jack told her.

Michelle laughed and shook her head, "No, trust me, the old chapters were getting in the way! They drew a fear out of me and that was why I could go on with these new chapter, like us being married," Michelle explained. Jack nodded along and went with it. The two continued packing, with the city in the background doing it's own thing.

 _ **It was winter, but I was preparing for a sunny summer with Jack.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Mark Calaway, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, Brooklyn Barrett, Victoria, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Sable, and Jack Swagger.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On December 12, 2015.**


	14. I Guess It's All Good

**New York City Friends**

 **Season 2, Episode 14: I Guess It's All Good**

 **Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.**

* * *

 _ **The city of New York is quite heavy on a person, it can bring one down and I mean very down. However, through it all, you grow stronger and that is why so many New Yorkers have a pride of saying that they are tough as f*ck because of this city. Life in general get's tough, but it's all good if you can survive.**_

Candice was walking down the windy streets near Park Avenue, with Cody on one side of her and Brooklyn on the other. It gave her a warm feeling, which resulted in the chills up and down her legs.

Everybody seemed to be in a frenzy, but it was just another day in life, all of them, just rushing past each other to carry on. All of a sudden two crazed friends walked up to Candice cautiously, "Oh my god, you're Candice Michelle! We went to see your musical, it was extraordinary and you were fabulous," the effeminate man said as he shook out of coldness and excitement.

"Thank you so much, are you guys from out of town," Candice asked, right away spotting the overly-joy only tourists had within them.

The woman next to the man nodded quickly, "Yes, yes we are! We were in the city and thought we would watch your musical, it was incredible and the gay forums of Broadway are raving about your performance," The woman with the heavy grey sweater said.

 _ **Candice was officially a gay icon and she felt fabulous. After all of the trouble she went through, in a way, it really did pay off.**_

"Well thank you," Candice said, trying to show a smile... even though she felt miserable in the freezing streets of that harsh winter.

The man turned to Cody and he was in awe. "You were great too... I'm telling you, you two are the power couple according to the gay forums of Broadway," he cheerfully let them know as the two slowly drifted away. "Well, we gotta check other places before we leave home for the holidays... but amazing performance like I said... or like they all said," the woman yelled as the two rushed away into the vast cold concrete jungle.

 _ **Before this, Candice felt that the musical was a big failing flop... but it obviously left an impact, after all, all gay icons have their flops. Before this, she was also contemplating on whether or not to take Cody as her date for the wedding, but according to the 'gay forums', they were the power couple.**_

"Oh my god, they love me and gays are very picky," Candice said to herself as she continued walking her own way. "And Cody, you're coming to this wedding with me... I mean sure people will talk, you know, how you're younger than me... but hell, we're the power couple," Candice said as she walked along with her two boys by her side.

* * *

 _ **Torrie's chapter with Punk started over the summer, but she never got anything out of it. However, the two have come along way, even Punk dressed himself all proper-like for this wedding and Torrie was pleasantly surprised. (By proper-like, I mean a blazer and a suit-tie, with a regular striped black t-shirt underneath and some black jeans, paired with classic black vans).**_

"So are we going, or not," Punk rhetorically asked as he stood in front of Torrie's doorstep. Torrie was almost ready, but she didn't have a date and she surprisingly wasn't getting hung up on it.

Torrie couldn't help but to let him in. The way he played with his tie like a little boy mesmerized her desperately hopeful eyes. "Hold up, let me just do my hair quickly," Torrie told him as she bounced back to her room.

Alicia walked in from the other bedroom, "By the way, you really did hurt her because no sane woman would walk in rain for no reason," Alicia notified him as her voice walked over him in the living room.

 _ **Alicia was Torrie's roommate and she knew everything about Torrie, even when Torrie couldn't figure herself out.**_

Punk shrugged, in a way that made him seem careless, but he was far from careless on the inside. "She asked about Stephanie and I told her... we slept together on more than one occasion, and hell we even went on dates, but as you can tell it didn't work out," Punk tried explaining himself.

"Exactly, Torrie has been trying to do all of that with you, but she gave up because she knew you were better off being her friend... but a friend by definition shares everything and you didn't, oh and on top of that you go off doing that whole love thing with some other lady," Alicia's voice rang something inside of Punk.

 _ **And suddenly Punk realized what he couldn't do back in the pouring rain, in which Torrie helplessly walked through because of him.**_

Torrie walked in, didn't hear a word, yet she still seemed to carry the animosity. "Okay, let's go," she said from the doorway of her room.

"I'm sorry," Punk said as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, that I didn't get you flowers... or whatever it is a guy gives to his date on a wedding," Punk corrected himself. "That's right we're on a date," he added to Torrie's surprise.

Torrie went along with it, "Oh, okay then! I've been waiting for the first date and here it is," she said as she watched him move uneasily in the suit-and-tie that made him look so clumsy and handsome... well technically there was no suit.

* * *

 _ **At the wedding, I was handling my own wedding and my new spot in the fashion creative team... all through my little phone, it was hard juggling the two and they haven't even begun yet.**_

"Yes, I'd like to book it for April," Michelle said to the lady on the phone. "Okay, okay, thank you," she tried rushing out of her mouth to hang up as soon as she could to pick the other call that was coming in from London.

"Hello, Michelle here," said Michelle as she waited for the news.

 _"The designer and the creative director loved your work and it took them a while, but they're officially adding you as a member to their creative team,"_ the English woman from the phone told Michelle. _"Don't worry, you can keep calling New York your home, we have a little workshop there and you'll report there and sign some contracts and you can start working right away,"_ she notified Michelle.

 _ **I dipped my toe into the fashion industry lake and I dipped my toe into the lake of optimistic love, the question was, which lake was I going to dive into.**_

Everything for Michelle was on the verge of happening, yet something else lingered and she wasn't sure what it was. "Okay, well I'll get back to you on that," Michelle told the British woman as she could hear London and her dreams in the background.

"Hey Michelle, the ceremony is about to start," Jack let her know from the back doorway of the church. He waited for her with a smile that seemed to promise so much, so off she went with him.

* * *

 _ **As the church bells rang beautifully, Ashley's aunts mouths rang like an annoying siren. They were all happy to finally see her with a man, but Ashley didn't want to hear it.**_

Ashley and Alberto stood up as the rest of the people walked out of the church. "Ashley, is that a Latin hottie by yo' side! My oh my, never thought i'd see the day," the older woman said with awe and it irritated Ashley for some reason.

"Isn't he cute Tania... spicy too I'm guessing, like some Enrique Iglesias," she yelled to the rest of Ashley's family side who were all taking pictures by the doorway.

They all laughed, "I agree... mixed babies are in too, just sayin'," the other aunt of Ashley yelled from the other side of the church.

 _ **Ashley was never close to her extended family and now she remembered why.**_

From the back of Ashley, a man appeared from the unwanted shadows. "They're all right honey, a woman like you, well a woman like you should start to think about settling down," The church minister told Ashley as he softly placed his hand on her shoulder, as to give her the holy touch she needed for her 'to live the right way'.

"A woman like me, what's that supposed to mean," Ashley asked Alberto under her breath. He shrugged and chose not to say anything, only because he was also feeling the pressure in that worrisome church, in which people seemed to pray in hopes that their worries would go away.

 _ **Ashley was never really close to any church or even any religion and now she remembered why that was.**_

* * *

 _ **Later at the party, Candice was seeing her life as a party because she wasn't having a party. Not having a party, made her feel like a party.**_

Candice rested her back on the chair as she grabbed another one and casually lifted her legs on top of it. "Thank god I'm not married... I forgot how stressful weddings and all of that crap can be," Candice let out as she smelled the flowers that were set on the table. "Oh, oops! But you guys will be fine, you have help all around you and you're young enough to have the energy for this type of stuff," Candice reassured Michelle and Jack, who seemed to be lost in their own stress.

Jack seemed a little less caring, he just shook his head and chuckled. "I think we'll be fine, at least I know I will," Jack responded with a shrimp in his hand.

 _ **It was chaotic and stressful, but that's because I cared and I was scared Jack didn't care as much.**_

Michelle slowly turned to him, "That's because you're not planning the wedding... I'm doing all the work and don't even give me that bullshit that I'm picky and won't let you contribute, because I'm not that kind of bride and maybe it's just that you don't care enough," Michelle snapped on him.

The whole table went silent, except for Jack, who's eyes widened to get a better look at what was going on. "What the hell, I do care! What are you doing, a little abrupt and not in the right place, don't you think," he asked Michelle, trying to restrain his voice for the sake of the people around.

"Yeah, yeah I'm doing it here! My head is f*cking spinnin' and you're just there chilling," Michelle yelled at him, with the music in the background drowning her out. She could read his eyes and she knew he had more to say, but she walked away before he could even start.

 _ **I felt the passion turn into a flame that ran inside of me like a wild fire would in a forest.**_

Candice awkwardly turned to Cody, "Well then, didn't mean for that to go there," she said to him as she watched for Jack's facial expression. He was burning with frustration, but between that and the love he had for Michelle, it all seemed to show that he really did care.

* * *

 _ **As the couples rushed to the dance-floor, they all found themselves dancing to the slow music in hopes that it would make them fall in some type of love. Punk and Torrie found themselves in the middle of all of that.**_

The music was just loud enough to keep a conversation private, but not too loud that voices would be just mouths moving for no reason. "By the way, the real reason why I didn't tell you was because I wasn't even f*cking sure of it! Going on dates with her and expecting her to walk through my door actually made me feel a certain f*cking way... but that sort of just dissolved and now I don't talk to her, she was my friend before this and I sacrificed that to give love a try," Punk explained to Torrie.

Torrie held the side of his face and she just rolled it off with a smile. "It's fine, I overreacted! But please do tell me next time, I won't be a b*tch and tell you 'I told you so'... and by the way, I find it cool that you gave love a try," Torrie let him know.

 _ **Weddings always rub off on people, even the ones that seemed to be so far away from that 'lifestyle'. For example Punk, he was in the zone and he decided a kiss from him would look nice on Torrie's lips.**_

Punk's body awkwardly moved along with Torrie's swiftly moving body, he leaned his face into her's and unexpectedly he smacked his lips onto her's. There was no tongue and it all seemed forced, with no sparks or magic between the two.

Torrie slowly pulled away, "What are you doing," she whispered as she put her hand over her mouth.

Punk chuckled as he scratched the back of his head, "Let's just pretend that didn't f*cking happen," Punk said as he laughed at himself. "Oh god, that's f*cking embarrassing! But i'm sorry, I just had to give it a try!"

"It's fine, it's cute actually! At least now we know there's nothing here between us," Torrie said with much relief to the roller-coaster she's put herself in for the past few months. "You're my friend and we're on a date, but that's just tonight and I'll find a man that can be my forever. Don't worry about it, I'm trying not to anymore and you shouldn't either... I appreciate it though."

 _ **The chapter of the complex friendship between Punk and Torrie was closed. They were now friends- Friends who've learned from each other; Torrie tried laying off the obsessive search for a man, while Punk tried giving love a shot... but ultimately they met halfway in a place that only the two of them knew of.**_

"You're my only hot female f*cking friend that I wouldn't sleep with by the way, I wouldn't want to," Punk told her honestly as he shrugged. "Actually, I only have like 3 female friends... well two I guess, I've screwed up with Stephanie! Actually I have some pretty hot guy friends too... but you're special," Punk insisted.

* * *

 _ **Some were lost in the wedding, while others were lucky enough to escape the 'holy glorified jail cell', as Candice liked to call it. Candice called it a night and decided to head home, by 'home' she meant shopping.**_

Candice quickly took her heels off and she switched to more manageable heels, a few inches shorter, but nonetheless still fabulous. "Ahh, the chaos of weddings... see, I'm honestly glad I'm not married anymore," Candice told Cody and Brooklyn as she searched for a cab to hail. "It took me a while, but I'm over it, truthfully," Candice insisted.

"That's good to hear," Cody said as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "But it's only nine and I kind of don't want to go home," he admitted as he stood there bored.

Brooklyn nodded along, "Yeah, I kind of want to do something too," Brooklyn said to his mother. "And I'm proud of you by the way mom, it took me a while too... but this is our life I guess," Brooklyn told his mom.

 _ **Candice's two young men wanted some fun and Candice did too, so she took them shopping... Christmas shopping, just to make it seem a little more festive. Sometimes families break or just life in general breaks those things into pieces, but it's all about finding a few of those pieces and looking for a few new ones to make a whole new puzzle.**_

"Hello, yes, 5th Avenue please," Candice hollered at the cab driver as Brooklyn and Cody followed in. "There's a _Prada_ store in the 724," she told the cabbie as she felt a fresh breath of new life that seemed exciting and safe at the same time.

"The Christmas lights are the legit definition of gorgeous," Brooklyn said as he looked out the windows. "I know, Christmas family traditions are out the window... but I'm okay with that, the lights are my favorite part anyway! The city just becomes so alive with festivity," Brooklyn told them as he felt the city wrap him up in holiday promises.

Candice grabbed his hand and she held it tight, "Nope, traditions are still happening... you and me in a cab going for some good old _Prada..._ I smell tradition," Candice reassured him as she gave him a wink.

* * *

 _ **While her mother danced on a youthful exciting day with her new husband, Ashley sat in her forced dress with her forced boring date.**_

"I just really find you beautiful," Alberto would repeat to Ashley as he rested his head on his hand. "Really, I mean it," he reassured her with his thick rhythmic accent.

Ashley forced herself to nod and smile, "Oh I believe you... after the 37th time, I believe you," Ashley told him as she felt the dullness of their conversation turn the grapes in her wine into shriveled-up raisins.

Alberto was like a little innocent boy, not even one move came out of him. Ashley could feel the tension from some of her annoying aunts as they watched like crows from the tables behind her. With the pressure on her shoulders, Ashley thought it wouldn't hurt to spice it up a little.

Her hand went under the table and she teasingly put her fingers on his thigh, but nothing, he did nothing. "What are you doing," he asked nervously.

 _ **Ashley was used to having the sexual tension between her and a man, it was all she knew and she went for it... but it didn't work, something just wasn't clicking and it wasn't him.**_

"Sorry, I think you should go," Ashley told him off. "It's not personal... well it is actually personal, but personal between me and myself," she explained to him as she watched his innocent face shun away.

Alberto turned around once more, "By the way, I really liked you... but not sexually, I don't know, I'm just not too much of a sexual man," Alberto admitted as he turned around abruptly.

 _ **He was dull, but their was something charming about him and Ashley didn't mind letting that go. According to her, she needed to work on herself before anything else.**_

"Here's ya cake honey," Sable whispered to Ashley as she placed the piece of cake down.

Ashley gracefully accepted it as she watched her mother be blinded by the love in her life. It was all good, both the cake and the sitting alone and just enjoying the sweet treat.

* * *

 _ **I was falling with a big heavy 'L' on my back and that 'L' stood for life. It was pulling me in every way, just left and right and back and forth... but what I didn't realize, is that now I had a special someone who would follow me wherever that direction would take me.**_

"I've been looking for you," Jack said out of breath. "I was nervous you know, where the hell have you been," Jack asked as he trembled.

Michelle shrugged, "Calm down, I was talking to some people about our wedding plans and I was talking to a couple of representatives of the London fashion company about the deal they're making with me," Michelle told him as she began to walk to the table.

"No, I won't calm down," Jack yelled as he grabbed her by the arm. "Michelle, I like weddings and I like that you're getting this great career opportunity... but I love you and this is real, I won't calm down... ever and maybe you won't want to marry that, I don't know, but I love you," he told her.

 _ **I watched his lips tremble with a fear only a passionate man could have, his eyes were promising and his head was replaced by his heart.**_

Michelle pulled herself in and she smiled, she rested her head on his chest and the two slowly moved to the romantic music playing and paving their path for their own big day. "Don't ever calm down... always stay fiery and passionate, keep it interesting for me," Michelle whispered to him.

 _ **I was falling with a big heavy 'L' on my back and that 'L' stood for love. I guess it was all good at the end of the day.**_

* * *

 **2 Months Later~**

 _ **By February 2016, I had already seemed to have all of the puzzle pieces figured out. However, one didn't quite fit and it was worth mentioning.**_

Michelle rushed to the hospital with her over-sized fur coat and with her white snow boots, all while holding a giant gift-basket as she waited to be acknowledged. "Hello, mam how can we help you," The woman at the front desk asked as she watched Michelle stumble around all clumsy-like with snow all over her.

"Yes, hi, my friend just had a baby and I need to be there... for support," Michelle explained to the woman. "He's my best friend and I need to be there," she added just to make it seem that more urgent.

 _ **After an elevator trip and after more walking, I found myself in the hallway where the miracle happened. I could smell it, literally, and I could hear it, literally.**_

"Knock, knock," Michelle whispered as she softly opened the door. "Mark, I came as soon as I could," Michelle told him as she hugged him tightly. Mark had a tear in his eye as he moved back towards his newborn baby.

The baby had it's eyes closed and it rested on his mother's chest, "Michelle, come look at our little girl," Victoria said with a quite maternal tone in her soft voice, she didn't even need a whisper. "Her name is Jodi," Victoria said with a smile on her face.

 _ **It was all precious, all of it.**_

"She's gorgeous," Michelle whispered as she set the gift-basket down. "A few little things in there for her, from her aunt," Michelle said as she walked over to the baby. "Wow, look at her little face," Michelle gushed about.

"Who knew I'd be here one year later," Mark teasingly said as he chuckled softly with his hand on the baby's warm back.

Michelle looked at him and winked, "Who knew, I guess it all turned out pretty good," Michelle repeated as she put her coat back on. "I'll leave you two alone, I swear I'll come back," Michelle said to them as she walked out the door subtly.

 _ **In my head I had one question, "Why not with me?"... but that obviously was not a question to be explored. The 'Michelle Puzzle piece' didn't fit in Mark's life anymore, but maybe the 'Aunt puzzle piece' would fit just right.**_

* * *

 _ **In reality, I left early for my chic office I had to be present in by 11:00 AM. I was officially a team member of the 'JAN's Fashion' creative team and it felt fabulous.**_

"Your first day, it's a big deal," Jack teased Michelle about as the two got ready for their own jobs. Michelle went over to his tall body and she fixed his tie for him on her tiptoes.

"I know, I'm excited," Michelle cheerfully said as she pulled the tie in tighter. "I went from being a waitress, to a fashion blogger, and now an actual fashion designer... well at least partially!"

Jack nodded and kissed her on the forehead, "Well good luck, I have to catch the L train and that's a pain in the ass, so I better get going" Jack said as he rushed out the door.

 _ **He took the L train and I took a cab, but we were both in the same ship and that was definitely sailing smooth.**_

"Everybody, please welcome Michelle McCool to our team," the man with the turtle neck said as he applauded her. "Okay, you saw her and you clapped... but let's get back to work and Michelle, I'll help you out for today and the rest of the week... but you need to learn fast," the man warned her, but Michelle had a radiance within her that made him believe she really would learn fast.

"Oh believe me, It'll all be good," she reassured him and herself as she got right down to business, fashion business that is.

 _ **I took the dive into both the fashion industry lake and the lake of optimistic love... I wasn't drowning and I had big visions that I knew would turn out to be all good.**_

* * *

 **Special Guest Stars~ Cody Rhodes, Brooklyn Barrett, CM Punk, Alicia Fox, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Sable, Mark Calaway, and Victoria.**

 **Written & Created By Jonathan N.**

 **Published On December 19, 2015.**

 **Author's** **Note~ Thank you all for an amazing season! It was really something bigger than last season and I'm glad some of you joined to ride with these four amazing women I continuously keep on falling in love with and I hope ya'll continue to stick around with their life stories in the greatest city of them all! Cheers to the new year and here's to another season, see ya around!**


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